Details Emerge About The Bombs Planted At Winner's Chapel Owerri Yesterday

THE police, yesterday, averted what could have amounted to the worst disaster in the southern part of the country by terrorists, as it defused three improvised explosive devices, IEDs, carefully planted in the Living Faith Church, (Winners Chapel), Owerri that accommodates more than 10,000 worshippers.

Imo State Governor, Chief Rochas Okorocha, in his reaction, said “the bombs had the capacity to cover about 500 metres and could have been a huge disaster if they had exploded as planned by the terrorists”.

Following the report that the police had uncovered and defused the explosives, palpable tension and confusion enveloped Owerri, Imo State capital as residents were apprehensive that members of the dreaded Islamic sect, Boko Haram, must have been responsible for it.

Already, all the security chiefs operating in the state, have visited the church premises, located off Port Harcourt Road, Owerri, to have a first hand assessment of the planned bomb attack.

Addressing newsmen shortly after inspecting the area, the Commissioner of Police, CP, Mr. Abdulmajid Ali, confirmed that six persons have been arrested in connection with the planned bomb attack

The CP explained that soon after getting information about the strange objects, the anti-bomb unit of the Command was immediately despatched to the scene.

According to Ali, “the police have disabled the devices, while serious investigations have commenced to uncover those behind the plot”.

He appealed to residents of the state not to panic but to be more security conscious, especially as the foiled attempt ought to be an eye opener to all.

“We are worried about the development but people should be vigilant. People should be very curious about anything they see within their surroundings. People should however not pick up anything. They should contact the security agencies any time they see strange objects”, the CP cautioned.

Although the pastor in charge of the church, Moses Oyedele, declined to speak to journalists on the matter, a member of the security group in the church, Pastor Chike Odenigbo, said it was one of his colleagues who noticed the two explosives planted at the gate and another at the church auditorium, which he said accommodates more than 10,000 worshippers at a time, that alerted them of the suspicious devices.

“The founder of the church had said it about three weeks ago that we should not allow any vehicle to come into the church premises. So, we started the stop and search process last week. We are expecting that God will continue to work for us”,Odenigbo said.

Culled