Bomb Scare in Aba; Residents Run For Safety; Police Calls For More vigilance

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News From The State Tuesday, June 24th, 2014

From Ignatius Okpara, Umuahia

There was tension in the commercial city of Aba in Abia State on Monday following the discovery of an object suspected to be bomb at the River Layout area of the city.

African Examiner gathered that there were confusion and fear in the area when a middle aged man, (name withheld) found a sealed object lying under a car parked in front of Royal Rock Church on Rivers Layout by East Street.

The suspected object

Residents immediately after raised alarm, a situation which attracted the Police Anti-Bomb unit.

A resident of the area who spoke on the condition of anonymity to our correspondent said the Anti-Bomb police cordoned off the area and ordered residents within to vacate their houses while they went round to inspect the object.

“It was around noon, a neighbour spotted an object which looks like a bomb and raised an alarm. There was confusion everywhere; people were running helter – skelter. Some body later invited the police who came and cordoned off the area” a source revealed.

Besides, ” Movements in and out were restricted, the policemen, asked the residents to leave their houses. Some policemen went to the spot where the object was, while others kept watch until they finally picked the item out” an eyewitness revealed.

Another resident of the area who simply identified himself as Junior, explained that before the police arrived, the residents suspected that the bomb might have been planted by the gate man.

“You know that our area is guarded by Hausa Fulani guard men, some of them are from Niger, so such alarm could not be ruled out especially after last week arrest of 486 suspected Boko Haram members.

The Abia State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Geoffrey Ogbonna when contacted, confirmed the incident and disclosed the object was not bomb as speculated.

He urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspected persons or objects in their neighbourhood to the police.

Meanwhile, African Examiner learnt that there is tension in Aba and environs due to escape of the 486 suspected insurgents arrested by the military penultimate last week.