The Anti-bomb Unit of the Nigeria Police Force is expected to join the investigation to determine the cause of the explosion that occurred at Umuneke Obazu Mbieri in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo state on Sunday morning, according to the police. Residents of the area said that they suspected the explosion which reduced a new bungalow to rubbles, might have been caused by a bomb or drone attack.
The police said their operatives have launched an investigation into the incident, with the DPO of Mbieri Police Division, Supol Wet Ben, visiting the scene of a devastating explosion.
NewsBits reports that the people of Umuneke Obazu Mbieri in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo state woke to a devastating explosion on Sunday morning, which has caused panic among residents. According to eyewitnesses, a suspected drone was seen hovering over Umuneke in Obazu Mbieri and neighbouring communities around 1:00 am.
Just ten minutes later, a loud explosion was heard, bringing down one building and damaging several others. The impact of the blast was felt over two kilometres away from the epicentre. “The bomb blast took place about half kilometers to our house.It broke my windows and cracked my car’s windshield. It was a high caliber military bomb,” a native of the area disclosed to NewsBits.
It was learnt that the explosion, which occurred at a newly completed family house, reduced the house to rubble though no casualty was recorded. A source, Iyke Njoku, said, “The sound was massive as well as the bang. We waited a while and when we didn’t see any movement or hear screams, we decided to check, only to see the house in rubble.
“When our neighbours from neighbouring villages called to ask us the cause of the sound, that was when we went to check how safe we were. “The house was a bungalow, and the couple just completed it even as they were planning to move in by February.
“It is so painful that all their efforts have become a waste because they can’t move in as planned again.” A resident, Mr. Emma Emeka, told our correspondent on Sunday that they were jolted in the night by an enormous sound.
Emeka said, “We were in our house when we heard a massive sound, just like an explosion. When we rushed out, a newly constructed bungalow was destroyed. It happened so quickly, as nobody saw what triggered it or who was behind it. All we heard was the loud explosion; now, we are gazing at the new building of our kinsman reduced to rubble.
“The couple had worked hard to complete the building and were planning to move in this year but they cannot do so again. The funny part is people in neighbouring villages heard the sound and wondered where the blast came from. We all slept with one eye open for fear of attack.”
The Chairman of Mbaitoli Local Government Area, Hon. Ifunanya Nwanegwo, and the Secretary General of Obazu Autonomous Community, Hon. Emeka Nosiri, were among the first to arrive at the scene on Sunday.
They urged residents to remain calm, assuring them that everything was being done to investigate the cause of the explosion. As the community comes to terms with the incident, residents are looking to the government for answers and action.
The President of the Udodiri Family Meeting, Umuneke Obazu Mbieri, Emeka Arimanwa, who also spoke on the unfortunate development, said: “We hope that the government will take immediate action to ensure our safety and security.”
