There was a scare in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, on Sunday after six people suspected to be Boko Haram operatives were arrested while trying to plant bombs within the premises of the Living Faith Church, a.k.a. Winners Chapel, along Port Harcourt Road.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abdulmajid Ali, told journalists that the six men arrested had made confessional statements.
He said the bomb disposal unit of the command has already deactivated the bombs, while investigations have commenced into the matter.
But the commissioner warned hoteliers and operators of public places to be vigilant and watch out for strange movements and people around their premises.
A source within the church said security men guarding the church were alerted when they noticed a strange movement of some people around the church at 8pm.
The security men were said to have alerted the church’s senior pastor, promptly called the police and other security agencies in Owerri.
The security agencies responded immediately and deployed men to the scene where the suspects were arrested. By then the suspects were said to have planted one of the bombs.
It was learnt that the suspects said they were in Owerri to bomb five churches. The church service of Winners Chapel was shifted afterwards to Hero’s Square, near Concord Hotel. Punch
