Imo police have reportedly averted an explosion in the church of state capital Owerri, having arrested 6 suspects and having recovered 2 IEDs.Sunday morning the worshippers of Port Harcourt Road branch of Winners Chapel miraculously cheated death, as the local police discovered the explosives and detonated them, Premium Times reports. This was officially confirmed by the Police Commissioner Abdumajid Ali.
One of the worshippers identified as Onumara Onyekachi, said:
“I was about getting ready for the second service when a friend posted this ‘Breaking News!!!!!! Police Anti Bomb squad has just detonated two bomb explosives planted at Winner Chapel PH road Owerri’. I made a few calls and confirmed that it was true.”
Although the details of the incident have not been provided yet, the police believes that the IEDs were planted yesterday night to enable the bomb go off after the people gathered in the church on Sunday.
Advertisement
UPDATE
The spokesperson for the command, Andrew Enwerem, told the correspondent that they had arrived at the scene after having been alerted to the suspicious object near the church. The experts deployed to the area discovered the “Improvised Explosive Devices in forms of refrigerator compressor concealed in sack bags”.
According to the official, one of them with the timer was immediately detonated and the second one was dis-alarmed and removed from the site.
Commenting on the arrest of the 6 suspects, the spokesperson said:
“They were arrested because we believe we might be able to obtain information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators from them.”
Brigade Commander, 34 Artillery Brigade, Owerri Brig.-Gen. Lanre Bello revealed that if the explosives had went off, many people would have been killed at a time.
