Fear Grips Asaba Residence over Discovery of Explosive in Government Reservation Area
LAGOS JULY 22ND (URHOBOTODAY)-Fear and anxiety gripped residents of Government Reservation Area, GRA, Asaba, Delta State recently when object suspected to be Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was discovered at the entrance of the country home of a senior management staff of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Mr. Anthony Konwea.
The DPR functionary, who was said to be returning with other family members from a trip to Benin-City, Edo State, for her daughter’s graduation, immediately stopped every member of his household and others from going near the gate to his home until the appropriate security agencies were invited.
Narrating his experience to journalists in Asaba, Konwea said the strange object was noticed at about 6.30p.m. on Saturday.
According to him, the object comprised a parcel wrapped around with a paper and secured with it a blue-striped men’s tie.
Some wires suggesting electrical connections and battery terminations were also visible on the strange object, he said.
However, following the strange discovery, terrified residents of the area reportedly kept a safe distance from the object until after Konwea made a distress call to the police, who came to defuse the suspected IED.
According to Konwea “I was shocked, I did not expect that an IED will be planted anywhere near me let alone my country home. It was very shocking; have no idea of what could be responsible for it.
“I came home (to Asaba) on Friday so that I will attend my daughter’s graduation ceremony the following day (Saturday) in Benin. We left for the ceremony on Saturday morning and it went well. We came back at about 6.30p.m. and noticed the strange package at the entrance to my residence,” he explained.
“So, I cautioned my boys not to go close because a closer look revealed that it has some electrical connections and battery terminations. We refrained from touching it and decided to go to the nearby police station which is the GRA police station. The DCO (District Crime Officer) and a female officer came with us and said they suspected the strange object to be an IED.
“I quickly put up a call to the Public Relations Officer of the state police command who eventually sent men from the anti-bomb unit. They came, inspected it and confirmed that it was an IED. They detonated it thereafter; and, we heard a loud sound which was some kind of confirmation that it was actually and explosive or a bomb.
“Inside of it, after the explosion, there were sharp nails, spoons, padlock and keys, a paper containing list of about five names, a complimentary card and a host of other things that we can’t identify which the police took away.”
Reacting, the state police command spokeswoman, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, disagreed that the object was an IED, describing the strange object as “just a trash tied in a black polythene bag.”
Mrs Kalu however expressed delight that people have become more security conscious and alert to the discovery of any strange objects around their neighbourhoods, saying it meant the people were responding positively to series of security tips on such issues by the police.
