Raphael Ede, Enugu
There was anxiety in Enugu State over the bombing of the country home of the president-general, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, yesterday. Daily Sun gathered that the blast occurred at about 5am yesterday at his Ukehe home in Igbo-Ettit Local Government Area of Enugu State.
A statement by Nwodo’s media aide, Chief Emeka Attamah, said the explosion took place yesterday, April 29. According to him, a cursory look by the Police Bomb Disposal Unit suggested it was an improvised explosive device (IED) that was hurled over the fence into the compound, causing extensive damage to the windows, the ceiling of one of the houses in the compound and an air-conditioning unit.
The commissioner of police in the state, Danmallam Mohammed, accompanied by the area commander for Nsukka and the divisional police officer for Igbo Etiti LGA, inspected the scene of the blast, which created a crater in the compound.
Addressing the residents of Ukehe, who trooped to Nwodo’s home, the police commissioner enjoined them to always be vigilant and to report any strange faces to security operatives.
Describing Enugu State as very peaceful, Danmallam wondered why some miscreants would be after the life of Nwodo, who he said was only serving his people, adding that what happened called for greater security around him.
He ordered that security should be beefed up in and around Nwodo’s compound and promised that the perpetrators would soon be identified and brought to justice.
Earlier, the commander of the Bomb Disposal Unit, DSP John Aniche, briefed the commissioner and Nwodo on the items they collected from the scene, including batteries, pellets and other materials used in preparing the IED, and said that they would be carefully scrutinised and analyzed.
Welcoming Danmallam to his home, Nwodo expressed surprise that anybody would be after his life but added that the incident would not deter him from leading his people.
The traditional ruler of Umudele in Ukehe, Igwe Lawrence Aroh, also wondered why some bad elements would constitute danger to others in a country bountifully endowed by nature. He assured the commissioner that the people would be extra vigilant and any such attempt in the future would be nipped in the bud.
The Enugu State director of the DSS, Mrs. E.A. Likiyon, also visited the scene of the explosion.
Consequently, the Enugu State Police Command has vowed to unmask those behind the attack, describing the bombing as a minor explosion.
Police spokesman in the state, SP Ebere Amaraizu, in a statement made available to Daily Sun, said:
“Background enquiry gathered revealed that the perpetrator who may not have had access through the entrance gate, may have thrown the object over the fence and it landed on the ground near the windows and exploded and gave some impacts.”
Amaraizu, however, assured that the area has been rendered safe by EOD operatives, even as the commissioner has directed the area commander to beef up security and surveillance within the axis.
Reacting to the incident, the director-general of Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, described the incident as shocking and very unfortunate, while the president of the Enugu State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Alex Ogbonna, described the incident as a clarion call to Ndigbo to be vigilant.
Ogbonna said that what happened at Nwodo’s home would not deter him from fighting the cause of Ndigbo, stressing that never in the history of Nigeria have Ndigbo been marginalised like now.