Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Contrary to the denial by the police that an explosive device was discovered at the United Evangelical Church, Ehere/Umuola, Ogbor Hill, Aba, the Associate Pastor in charge of the church, Eleazar Onyenweaku, has insisted that the incident was not a folk tale but real.
The cleric, who spoke during an interview at the church premises on Tuesday, said the device was evacuated by the military, which stormed the venue after the strange item was discovered.
He explained that the bomb was exhumed from the premises by workers digging a foundation for a new perimeter fence around the church parsonage.
Recall that the Abia State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Maureen Chinaka, had earlier issued a statement dismissing reports that a bomb or explosive was found at the church.
The police statement read in part: “I can authoritatively confirm that no bomb or explosive was recovered from the said area. Thorough investigations conducted through the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) covering the area have affirmed this.
“The church, which had encroached on the road currently being reconstructed by the government, was asked to move back slightly to create space for the project. This directive was not complied with, prompting the military to intervene to ensure compliance.
“During the process, an iron rod, part of a pillar of the church structure being adjusted, was removed by the military. Therefore, there was nothing resembling a bomb or explosive recovered anywhere in Aba.”
The statement, however, said that the police, “as the lead internal security agency, remain vigilant in ensuring the protection of lives and property.”
Speaking with our Correspondent, Pastor Onyenweaku expressed shock over the police denial, questioning how such a conclusion was reached without officers visiting the church premises.
He maintained that a team of soldiers, led by a Captain, evacuated the explosive after it was discovered, wondering how the police could dismiss what he described as a “factual and dangerous incident.”
Narrating the incident, the cleric said the church had engaged labourers to excavate a foundation for a new perimeter fence following a government directive to give way for road expansion.
According to him, the labourers were digging on Friday when one of them noticed a metallic object less than a foot beneath the soil surface.
He explained that the workers had been instructed to dig carefully because of underground water pipes supplying the parsonage, a precaution he said prevented a possible disaster.
“Government marked our fence for demolition to allow road expansion, so we were asked to draw back and rebuild, which we complied with,” he said.
“While the workers were scraping the soil, not digging aggressively, one of them noticed something unusual. He initially thought it was scrap metal. As they discussed selling it, the site engineer came, collected it, and began washing it at a tap to examine it.
“When I arrived and saw it, having lived in Northern Nigeria where I had seen explosives before, I immediately recognised it. I noticed that the safety ring was still intact. I shouted and quickly took the object to a plantain stand within the premises.”
The pastor said he immediately attempted to contact military personnel he knew, and when those efforts failed, he rushed to Ndoki Primary School, where a military base is located.
“I reported the incident and showed them photographs. They followed standard protocols, contacted their superiors, and accompanied me back to the church in a Hilux vehicle. After examining it, they confirmed it was a dangerous explosive, evacuated it, and advised us to exercise caution in case more were buried around the area,” he added.
Explaining why he did not first report the matter to the police, Pastor Onyenweaku said he believed the military was better equipped to handle explosives.
“I felt it was a military matter. I have not seen police handling launchers or explosives, so I reported to the Army, whom I believed could respond swiftly,” he said.
On whether any recent conflict had occurred in the area, the cleric said none had, adding that he doubted the device was a relic of the Nigerian Civil War.
“I don’t think it was from the civil war because it was not rusted. It looked relatively new,” he noted.
While he said he was not directly suspecting anyone, the pastor appealed to the government and security agencies to conduct a thorough scan of the premises for possible additional explosives, stressing that church members now live in fear.
He disclosed that operatives who identified themselves as officials of the Department of State Services (DSS), alongside intelligence personnel from Umuahia, had visited the church and conducted preliminary inquiries.
Pastor Onyenweaku appealed to Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti, to intervene, urging a comprehensive investigation and enhanced security around the church premises to forestall any future danger.
Some elders of the church, Elder Andy Amadi and Deacon Obioma Adielle, who were present during the visit, corroborated the account of the Associate Pastor, appealing to the government not to take the incident lightly.
Meanwhile, efforts to speak with the Security Adviser to the Governor, Navy Commander MacAnthony Ubah, were unsuccessful, as he did not pick calls put across to him.
He had yet to respond to a text message sent to his phone as at the time of filing this report.
When contacted, the Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 14 Brigade, Ohafia, Captain Mazinho Attah, promised to get back to our Correspondent on the matter.
