Suspected explosive device removed from Aba church premises after discovery during fence work

A suspected explosive device was safely evacuated from the premises of the United Evangelical Church, Ehere/Umuola, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State, after it was uncovered during routine construction work.

Church members were digging along the fence line near the parsonage to make way for a new boundary in response to an ongoing road expansion in the area when they discovered a large metal object buried in the ground.

According to eyewitnesses, one of the workers moved the object closer to a nearby borehole before the priest in charge raised concern that it could be an explosive. He immediately cautioned those present to keep their distance and contacted a military unit in the city.

Soldiers later arrived at the church premises and removed the object for further examination.

An eyewitness said the church had begun rebuilding its fence to align with the state government’s road expansion project when the object was found. The discovery occurred in a busy part of the community, where traders and pedestrians frequently pass.

People at the scene expressed relief that the object did not detonate, noting that the area is usually crowded during the day.

The Secretary of the Aba Area Conference of the United Evangelical Church, Rev. Thompson Ikpeoha, confirmed the incident but said he had not yet received a detailed report from the priest overseeing the church.

Attempts to reach the Army Public Relations Officer of the 14 Brigade in Ohafia were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. However, a senior military officer in Aba confirmed the evacuation and said Army authorities have taken over the investigation.