Three unexploded bombs found in Enugu

About 50,000 unexploded explosive remnants said to have been abandoned during the Nigeria Civil war are presently scattered across 12 states of the south east, south-south and North Central, Defence Ministry said Wednesday.

Residents in the affected areas have therefore been warned to exercise care while carrying out their activities in view of the harmful effect of the objects should they explode.

Addressing reporters in Enugu after removing three unexploded bombs at a construction site at the Udi local government area of the state, Field Administrator of the Nigerian Mine Action Centre, a department of the Federal Ministry of Defence, Dr Emeka Uhegbu, said the unexploded bombs could kill innocent persons if detonated.

He said that the three bombs which looked like rocket launchers were found at the construction site while the labourers were trying to dig the place preparatory for the foundation, noting that after alerting the anti-bomb unit of the Enugu state police command, the ministry was informed leading to its removal by their officials.

He noted that had the labourers made mistake of hitting a hard object on the explosives, it had the capacity of killing thousands of people around the area.

“We have our zonal office in Owerri with the responsibility of removing the explosive remnant of the civil war in 12 states; we have continued to remove some of these unexploded explosives since 2009. not long ago, we equally removed bombs in Enugu and detonated them at the Ugwu-Onyeama area in the presence of Governor Chime represented by his Deputy, the then Minister of Defence, Shettimah, the police, soldiers and other security operatives.''

Culled from the guardian.