Residents of Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State, have been gripped by fear and confusion, following conflicting accounts over the alleged discovery of an explosive device at the United Evangelical Church, Ehere/Umuola.
The controversy erupted after eyewitnesses said a bomb was unearthed on January 30, 2026, while labourers were excavating a foundation for a new perimeter fence, following a government directive for the church to set back its structure due to road expansion.
However, the Abia State Police Command swiftly denied the claim. In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chinaka, said no explosive was recovered at the church.
“I can authoritatively confirm that no bomb or explosive was recovered from the said area,” the statement read, adding that what was removed by soldiers was merely an iron rod from a church pillar during compliance with road construction directives.
But the church has strongly countered the police narrative, insisting that the incident was not a ruse.
When Vanguard visited the church, the Associate Pastor, Eleazar Onyenweaku, insisted that an explosive device was indeed exhumed and evacuated by the Army.
He expressed shock that the police dismissed the incident without initially visiting the church.
According to the cleric, labourers digging carefully due to underground water pipes noticed a metallic object barely a foot beneath the soil. Initially mistaken for scrap, the labourers raised an alarm after closer inspection.
“Having lived in Northern Nigeria, I immediately recognised it as an explosive. The safety ring was still intact,” he said.
Onyenweaku said he contacted soldiers at a nearby military base, who examined the device, confirmed it was dangerous, evacuated it in a Hilux vehicle and warned that more explosives could be buried in the area.
Explaining why he bypassed the police, the pastor said the Army was better equipped to handle explosives.
“I have not seen police handling launchers or explosives. I felt it was a military matter,” he said, adding that DSS operatives later visited the church for preliminary investigations.
He dismissed suggestions that the device was a relic of the Civil War, noting that it was not rusted and appeared relatively new.
Church elders, Elder Andy Amadi and Deacon Obioma Adielle, corroborated the pastor’s account and urged authorities not to trivialise the incident.
Despite repeated enquiries, the Army has remained silent. The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 14 Brigade Ohafia, Captain Mazinho Attah, promised to respond but has yet to do so.
Hours after Vanguard published its investigative report, the police doubled down. Commissioner of Police, Danladi Isa, described the pastor as “not an expert in bomb detection” and insisted no bomb was found.
The CP claimed that the DPO met a church member identified as “Mr Ezumini,” who allegedly confirmed that only an iron rod was removed.
He said the area was later searched by Explosive Ordnance personnel and found safe, adding that no formal complaint was lodged with the police.
But the pastor fired back, accusing the police of fabricating facts and portraying the church as liars. He denied having any church member by the name mentioned and said police only visited the church days after making the first denial.
In a voice note, Onyenweaku claimed that the DPO of Azuka Police station, Aba, came to the church to inquire about what happened after the police authorities had denied that the incident occurred.
According to him, he was still explaining to him how it happened before the Area Commander, Aba also arrived with his team.
He later took them to the Army camp, where the officer who led the evacuation confirmed to them that an explosive had been truly removed and taken to the Army Headquarters in Asa, Ukwa East.
“If after hearing this, they went to the press to deny it, then they have lost respect,” he said, demanding a public apology and urging the Army to speak out.
He challenged the police to sue the church if the incident was a false alarm.
Abia govt reacts
Breaking the silence, the Security Adviser to the Governor, Navy Commander MacDonald Ubah (retd), confirmed that an explosive device was dug up at the church but said it posed no danger.
According to him, the Army identified it as an antiquated, expended 96mm propelled grenade round.
“It was not live ammunition. It had been detonated before and must have been there for a long time,” he said, urging residents not to panic.
Residents, CSOs demand probe
Meanwhile, residents and civil society groups have demanded a full investigation.
Mrs Amaka Biachi, Executive Director of the African Centre for Human Advancement and Resource Supports, expressed concern over the conflicting narratives, urging the government to act decisively.
Similarly, FENRAD Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nwafor, criticised the police for what he described as hasty conclusions without thorough investigation, warning that such actions erode public trust.
Former Director of Operations, Army Headquarters, Gen. Ijioma N. Ijioma (retd), in an exclusive interview with Vanguard, called for caution and thorough investigation.
In the same vein, a security expert and former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG, Godwin Nwobodo (retd), also called for a full investigation.
He highlighted the need to report matters that border on internal security to the police for proper investigation.
The retired DIG also called for vigilance among the people in view of the troubling security situation in the country.
As the Army maintains silence, troubling questions persist: How did the device get into the church premises? Was it isolated? And should security agencies have gone public before concluding investigations?
For now, uncertainty and anxiety continue to trail the incident until the relevant agencies of government do the needful.
The growing anxiety is being fueled by the rising insecurity in parts of the country, and reports that some bandits being dislodged in the Northern parts of Nigeria are sneaking into the South. Issues of security and public safety should not be treated with levity but accorded the utmost priority they deserve.
VANGUARD.
