The Abia State Police Command has denied reports making the rounds that a bomb or Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was recovered at the United Evangelical Church in Ehere/Umuola, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Maureen Chinaka, in a statement on Tuesday, said it conducted thorough investigations through the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) covering the area and found no evidence of any explosive device.
She stated, “I can authoritatively confirm that no bomb or explosive was recovered from the said area. Investigations conducted by the Command have clearly affirmed this.”
The incident was linked to an ongoing road reconstruction project by the Abia State Government. The church, which had encroached on the road corridor, was directed to adjust its structure to create space for the project.
When the directive was not complied with, the military intervened to ensure compliance.
During the process, an iron rod — part of a pillar of the church structure being adjusted — was removed by the military. The Police emphasised that the object was not a bomb or any form of explosive, adding that no explosive device was recovered anywhere in Aba.
The Command reassured residents that, as the lead internal security agency, it remains vigilant in the protection of lives and property, noting that officers are active, alert, and strategically deployed across the state.
Reports had emerged of a bomb scare at an Abia church on Monday, with claims that over 100 deaths were averted following the alleged discovery of a deadly object said to have been evacuated by the military.
It was further reported that members of the United Evangelical Church were digging around the fence area near the parsonage when they uncovered a large metal object, which one of them reportedly took to a nearby borehole before the priest raised an alarm, suspecting it to be a bomb.
By Henry Adedeji @Channels
