THERE was widespread panic in Owerri, capital of Imo State, on Sunday as security operatives discovered bombs planted in the premises of a branch of Bishop David Oyedepo’s Living Faith World Bible Church, a.k.a. Winners Chapel.
The discovery forced the church to shift its Sunday worship from its location along Port Harcourt Road to Heroes’ Square, near Concord Hotel.
Governor Rochas Okorocha said it would have been disastrous if the bombs had not been deactivated before they went off.
“The bombs had the capacity to go within 500 meters range and would have been a disaster if they had exploded as the church where it was planted is located at a densely populated area of the state,” the governor said, according to a statement by his Special Senior Assistant in charge of the media, Jane Amucha.
Two Improvised Explosive Devices were said to have been planted at the entrance of the church overnight and timed to explode at 8.00am on Sunday, when worship service would have gone underway.
The Winners Chapel is a popular Pentecostal church that draws large membership.
Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Mr. Abdulmajid Ali, confirmed the development and said six suspects had been arrested in connection with the plot to bomb the church.
The CP said his men in the bomb disposal unit of the command had deactivated the bombs, while investigations had commenced into the matter.
The CP warned hoteliers and operators of public places to be vigilant and watch out for strange movements and people around their premises.
The PUNCH learnt on Sunday that the IEDs were discovered by the security men engaged by the church. The security guards were said to have noticed suspicious movements by some strange persons in the area on Saturday night.
On discovering the devices, the guards promptly reported to the leadership of the church. The pastor consequently called in the police.
The Imo police spokesman, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, also confirmed to one our correspondents the discovery of the bombs in Winners Chapel and the arrest of the six suspects.
Enwerem however did not give further details about the arrested suspects.
He said, “Some church security personnel sighted a suspicious object between 11.30 and 12am and called the attention of the police to the object.
“The Bomb Disposal Unit was quickly drafted to the area and they discovered two IEDS planted at the entrance of the church.
“With the discovery, the bomb experts detonated it deliberately. It didn’t go off on its own. There were two of them.
“It is true that six people have been arrested, the arrest was a normal routine exercise by the police around the area. It was part of the police effort to get to the actual perpetrators, it is to get information.”
Following the tension caused in the Owerri metropolis on Sunday, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha addressed journalists in the Government House, assuring the people of their safety.
Okorocha called on the people of the state to be calm and go about their normal business as everything was under control.
The governor noted that the daily prayers offered in the state were not in vain and thanked God for saving the lives of his people. He also commended the security outfits in the state for being alert to their duties.
The governor, who assured Imo people that the situation was under control, noted that Imo was not known for such ugly incidence and therefore appealed to all Imo indigenes and other Nigerians resident in the state to be more security conscious and alert the police about any suspected objects, vehicles or persons around their vicinity.
He however assured that the state had applied necessary measures to stop further occurrence of the ugly situation.
The governor said there would be an emergency security meeting at the International Convention Centre, Owerri, where further security briefing would be made available to all residents of the state.
The governor’s assurances notwithstanding, a resident living near the church, Mrs. Charity Nze, said she had been living in fear after she saw a group of security operatives removing explosives from the church.
Mrs. Nze told our correspondent that she could not risk being killed by explosives because she was staying close to a church.
“I am afraid and considering moving to another place. I need to protect my children and will not allow all of us to be killed by any bomb explosion,” she said.
But a member of the church, Deacon Alloy Ohia, said though the church relocated to the Heroes’ Square in Owerri for its first service as a result of the security challenge, the second service was held in the church.
Ohia explained that the church would not be discouraged by the recent development, adding that the discovery of explosives within the church premises was a victory for members of the church
“Our spirit has been angered, but we are not afraid. The first service was held at Heroes’ Square because of security challenges, but we were back in the church for our second service,” Ohia said.
PUNCH
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