Explosion Rocks Imo Community, One Dead, Two Injured
Tragedy struck Obinwanne community in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State on Thursday following an explosion that claimed the life of one man and left two others seriously injured.
The deceased, identified as Chinworeke Mmadu, reportedly died after an explosive device he was carrying detonated prematurely. Two passers-by caught in the blast sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.
A viral video of the incident circulating on social media showed the victim writhing in pain with his legs shattered, while shocked residents raised allegations that he may have been attempting to plant the explosive at a nearby market before the device went off.
Some locals further alleged that the deceased had links to a terror group operating under the guise of Biafra agitators.
Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Imo State Police Command, Henry Okoye, said preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was in possession of the explosive when it went off.
He added that the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Hamzat Abdulkadir, alongside operatives of the Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) Unit, swiftly moved to the scene. The area has since been thoroughly swept and declared safe for public use.
Okoye assured residents that investigations are ongoing to ascertain the source of the explosive and to uncover possible accomplices.