ABIA: Casualties Averted As Object Suspected To Be Explosive Evacuated From Church Premises In Aba.
A major tragedy was narrowly averted at the United Evangelical Church, Ehere/Umuola, Ogbor Hill, Aba, after church members unearthed a large metal object suspected to be an unexploded bomb during fence reconstruction work.
Eyewitnesses told newsmen that the incident occurred while congregants were digging around the parsonage area to install a new fence. The old fence was being removed to accommodate ongoing state government expansion of the adjoining road, which divides the church building and the parsonage.
During the excavation, workers discovered the strange, heavy metal object buried in the ground. One individual reportedly carried it toward a nearby water borehole for closer inspection, but the priest in charge quickly suspected it might be explosive and warned everyone to stay clear.
The priest promptly alerted a military unit in Aba. Soldiers from the unit swiftly arrived at the scene, cordoned off the area, and safely evacuated the suspected bomb.
An eyewitness recounted: “The road which divides the church building and the parsonage is being expanded by the state government. The church decided to remove the old fence and build a new one to make way for the new expansion of the road. It was while the church members were digging the ground for the new fence that they dug out the metal object which nobody knew was a bomb. The pastor later invited soldiers who evacuated the object.”
Onlookers and sympathizers gathered at the scene expressed profound gratitude to God, noting that the device, if indeed a bomb, could have caused catastrophic damage. They estimated that over 100 people, along with surrounding structures, might have been killed or destroyed, given the area’s constant bustle of traders, passersby, and church activities.
Rev. Thompson Ikpeoha, Secretary of the Aba Area Conference of the United Evangelical Church (UEC), confirmed the incident but stated he was still awaiting a full briefing from the priest in charge of the Ehere/Umuola branch.
Efforts to reach the Army Public Relations Officer at the 14 Brigade, Ohafia, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. However, a senior military officer in Aba verified the event and revealed that Army headquarters have assumed control of the investigation to determine the object’s nature, origin, and how it came to be buried at the site.
The discovery has sparked concern in the community about potential security risks from buried explosives, possibly remnants of past conflicts or deliberate placement. Authorities have not yet disclosed further details on the object’s composition or any leads in the probe.
