Over 100 lives saved as soldiers remove suspected bomb in Abia

Over 100 lives could have been lost following the discovery of a suspicious object believed to be a bomb at the United Evangelical Church, Ehere/Umuola, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State.

According to eyewitnesses, church members were digging around the parsonage to replace the old fence when they unearthed a large metal object.

One member reportedly moved the object to a nearby water borehole, but the priest in charge immediately suspected it might be an explosive and warned everyone to stay clear.

A source told Vanguard that the priest promptly contacted a local military unit, prompting soldiers to rush to the scene and safely remove the potentially deadly object.

An eyewitness explained: “The road separating the church building from the parsonage is being widened by the state government. The church decided to dismantle the old fence and construct a new one to accommodate the road expansion. While digging for the new fence, the members uncovered the metal object, which turned out to be a bomb. The pastor later called in soldiers who evacuated it.”

Onlookers at the scene expressed gratitude to God for averting a disaster, noting that the area is usually crowded with traders and passersby, and that the explosion could have destroyed lives and buildings.

Rev. Thompson Ikpeoha, Secretary of the Aba Area Conference of the United Evangelical Church (UEC), confirmed the incident but said he had not yet received full details from the Ehere/Umuola church priest.

Attempts to reach the Army Public Relations Officer of the 14 Brigade, Ohafia, were unsuccessful at the time of reporting. However, a senior military officer in Aba confirmed the incident, stating that the Army headquarters had taken over the investigation.