No fewer than 100 worshippers and residents were narrowly spared death on Monday after soldiers evacuated a suspected explosive device discovered within the premises of a church in Aba, Abia State.
The object was reportedly unearthed at the United Evangelical Church, Ehere/Umuola, Ogbor Hill, during excavation works for a new perimeter fence, following the state government’s ongoing road expansion project in the area.
Eyewitnesses said church members had been digging around the parsonage when they stumbled on a large metallic object.
One of them was said to have carried it towards a nearby borehole before the presiding priest raised an alarm, suspecting it to be an explosive device.
The cleric reportedly alerted a nearby military formation, prompting soldiers to storm the church premises and safely evacuate the object.
An eyewitness said, “The road dividing the church building and the parsonage is being widened.
The church decided to pull down the old fence and build a new one. It was while digging that they found the object. Nobody knew it was dangerous until the pastor suspected it was a bomb and invited soldiers.”
Residents and traders who gathered at the scene expressed gratitude that the device did not detonate, noting that the area is usually crowded with worshippers, traders and passersby, especially on weekdays.
Confirming the incident, the Secretary of the Aba Area Conference of the United Evangelical Church, Rev. Thompson Ikpeoha, said he was yet to receive a full briefing from the priest in charge but acknowledged that a suspicious object had indeed been removed from the church premises.
Efforts to reach the Army Public Relations Officer of the 14 Brigade, Ohafia, were unsuccessful as of press time.
However, a senior military officer in Aba confirmed the operation and disclosed that Army Headquarters had taken over investigations into the origin and nature of the device.
Security agencies have urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious objects, particularly at construction sites and public places.
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