Tragedy was averted on Monday following the discovery of a bomb at the compound of United Evangelical Church, Ehere/Umuola, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia State.
Reports quoting eyewitnesses said the church members were digging the fence area around the parsonage for a new one when they stumbled on a large metal object.
One of them reportedly carried the strange object to the nearby water borehole when the Priest-in Charge suddenly suspected it to be an unexpended bomb, and warned them to stay away from it.
A source further said the Priest in-Charge went to a military unit in the city which made soldiers to storm the parsonage to evacuate the deadly object.
An eyewitness said: “The road which divides the church building and the parsonage is being expanded by the State government. The church decided to remove the old fence and build a new one to make way for the new expansion of the road.
“It was while the church members were digging the ground for the new fence that they dug out the metal object which nobody knew was a bomb. The pastor later invited soldiers who evacuated the object.”
Sympathisers gathered at the scene expressed gratitude to God for the unexploded object, adding that not less than 100 persons and building would have been destroyed as the area is always filled with traders and passersby.
Secretary of the Aba Area Conference of the United Evangelical Church,UEC, Rev. Thompson Ikpeoha, who confirmed the incident, said he was yet to be fully briefed by the Priest-in-Charge of the Ehere/Umuola Church.
The Army Public Relations Officer,14 Brigade, Ohafia, could not be reached at the time of filing this report.