Police Dismiss Enugu Bomb Explosion Reports

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

The Enugu State Police Command on Monday dismissed as false media reports of a bomb explosion in a Catholic Church in Enugu on Sunday.

THISDAY checks showed that there was panic in Enugu as a bomb explosion reportedly rocked the Holy Cross Catholic Parish, Iji-Nike in Enugu-East Local Government Area on Sunday.

The explosion was said to have occurred in the morning when the worshipers were gathering for mass.

The parish priest in-charge of the church, Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Okwor, told newsmen that the explosion occurred around 5:40 am when he was preparing for 6:00 am mass.

But in a release by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebere Amaraizu, the command urged members of the public to go about their normal and lawful businesses, noting that analysis carried out by the command’s Explosive Ordinance Department showed that the minor explosion had nothing to do with Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

“The Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force wishes to make it categorically to the members of the public that there was no bomb explosion at Holy Cross Catholic Parish at Iji Nike Abakpa, Enugu State on 13/5/18 as being speculated and that there was a report of alleged explosion in the church in the morning in which the commands Explosive Ordinance Department promptly attended to together with other security operatives of the command.

“The command to this end wishes to advise members of the public to go about their normal lawful businesses as analysis from the men of the Explosive Ordinance of the command revealed that it has got nothing to do with I.E.D or its like but Pyrotechnic which the perpetrator used to cause panic to church members.

“The command further wishes to inform members of the public that there is no loss of lives, injury or damage to properties during the incident.

“Meanwhile, the operatives of the Explosives Ordinance Department of the command have rendered the entire area safe just as a full scale investigation has commenced into the alleged incident.”

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