A house in Owerri has been found to contain no less than 17,000 live bombs.
The Nigerian Army following the discovery has deployed soldiers to take over and secure the house which contains the live explosives.
Soldiers from the 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, were reported to have taken over the premises days ago with a team of bomb experts attached to the unit on the ground at the site.
The house containing the explosives is located at No. 109, Achike Udenka Avenue, new Owerri.
The Nigerian army swung into action after a news platform, Daily Sun, on August 9, published a bomb expert, Professor Yakubu’s outcry over the huge number of explosives stockpiled in the state.
The explosives expert, stockpile manager and Managing Director of Demining Concept Nigeria, further noted that about 44,000 other bombs are located in some uncleared locations across the southeastern part of the country.
The bomb expert noted that some of the explosives are located in schools, churches, markets and other public places.
Speaking to news source, Daily Sun, Prof. Yakubu revealed some of the marked 107 uncleared locations to include Imo Etiti-Ihitte Uboma – Madonna High School, former Ojukwu’s logistics base, Ohoba/Ahoada Road Owerri West, Holy Rosary Pry School, Anambra, Abaganana/Ukpo Roadside, Residence of Michael Okechukwu, Rivers Ayama Central school Oyigbo -Ayama Town and Ozuzu Central School, Etche Local Government Area, among others.
He noted that the army authorities contacted him for details after the news was published.
He added: “The soldiers, on getting to the premises, met my staffs who gave them my number, and one Major Bulus called me over the matter, saying he read about it on Daily Sun and came to find out if the report was true.
“He told me they were there on the orders of the army authorities considering the sensitive issues I raised in the report over security implications of the explosives, given the current security situations in the country, and that they would provide security for the premises, which is my greatest fear, to prevent unwanted persons from gaining access there.”
Prof. Yakubu, expressing his delight over the swift response of authorities to the outcry said: “the soldiers would guard the place until we are ready to destroy the bombs.”
Pointing out that the explosives would have further armed criminals especially following the inauguration of the Biafra Security Services, BSS, the bomb expert revealed that the army officials have been providing him with security since the news went live.
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The Public Relations Officer in charge of the 34 Artillery Brigade, Captain Haruna Tagwai, while speaking on the development said: “the army has already provided security on the premises, but the property belongs to the Ministry of Defence.”
He added: “if you want to get more fact about it, you can contact the press’s secretary in the Ministry of Defence.”