No light, fallen fence: Neglect at Oke-Afa arcade as Lagos bomb blast victims are remembered

The Oke-Afa Memorial Arcade, established to honour victims of the January 27, 2002, Lagos armoury explosion, has fallen into neglect, with overgrown bushes, a collapsed fence, and no commemoration by the government this year.

The 2002 disaster, caused by the accidental detonation of high explosives at a military storage facility, claimed at least 1,100 lives, displaced over 20,000 people, and injured thousands. Panic from the explosion led many fleeing residents into a concealed canal, where they drowned. Entire districts of Lagos were gutted in the aftermath, with the Nigerian Army later blamed for failing to maintain or decommission the storage facility despite prior warnings.

When The Guardian visited the arcade yesterday, it was evident that the site had been abandoned. Residents reported that the lighting at the arcade has been non-functional for over seven years, with parts of the area becoming a hideout for criminals and a dumping ground for refuse.

A resident and businessman, Ariyo Usman, recounted the harrowing events of 2002 and the current state of the memorial. “I was at 6, Agbedegudu Street, Isolo when the bombs went off. People jumped into the canal to escape because they thought it was war.”

We rescued many, but more lives were lost than saved,” he said.

Reflecting on the state of the arcade, Usman lamented, “The lack of illumination has allowed scavengers to steal metal parts, and the site could have turned into a toilet if not for the intervention of concerned residents. The fence near the canal has collapsed, and no government representative has visited this year to mark the day. Families of victims occasionally offer prayers, but none have come today.”

Another resident, Pascal Olisa, expressed fears of a similar disaster occurring again. “Some families never recovered the bodies of their loved ones. Twenty-three years later, we are still scared. Given Nigeria’s slow follow-up culture, there may be other explosives still buried. The government must act to prevent future occurrences. This tragedy happened because of government irresponsibility.”

Olisa also called for immediate action to restore the arcade, stressing that “the site is unkempt, and the lighting is not working.”

Efforts to reach the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, and the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army’s 81 Division, Lt Col Lekan Ayeni, for comments were unsuccessful at press time.