There was pandemonium in Enugu, the Enugu State capital, as an explosion believed to have been a bomb rocked Holy Cross Catholic parish, Iji-Nike in Enugu-East Local Government Area.

The explosion, Daily Sun gathered, occurred around 5:40 a.m. Sunday morning as worshipers were gathering for Sunday mass.

Parish priest in-charge of the church Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Okwor told newsmen that the explosion occurred around 5:40 a.m. when he was preparing for 6:00 a.m. mass.

He said that the sound shook the church, leaving the neighbourhood in a state of confusion, while parishioners in the premises scampered for safety.

Addressing journalists, the Catholic Bishop of Enugu Diocese described the incident as worrisome and called for vigilance.

He said, though the explosion was minor as police described it, it would have caused a stampede if it had exploded at the time the worshippers had filled the church.

While he called on those behind the act to desist from further action, Bishop Onaga urged government and security agencies to do something fast before such incidents get out of hand.

Meanwhile, security sources who saw the incident told Daily Sun that it was an Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs).

“This is a pyrotechnic type of IED,” a source said.

The sources said the explosion was carried out by the same syndicate that carried out the attack at the home of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo president general, Chief Nnia Nwodo last week.

Police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu, confirming the explosion on telephone, described it as a minor explosion, urging people not to panic.

“We thank God that there was no loss of life nor major destruction. We have to be more vigilant and security-conscious and be able to partner with security agencies to ensure that there is no repeat of such an incident,” the spokesman said.

Amaraizu said the police had already commenced investigations into the incident.

Text (excluding headline) sourced from Daily Sun

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