It has been revealed that no fewer than  50,000 latent bombs and landmines could be found in the South East and South-South Nigeria.  They are remnants of explosives deployed during the Biafra/Nigeria war. which lasted from July 1967-January 1970.

The disclosure came from the Media Director and Field Administrator of the Nigerian Mines Action Centre Owerri, Dr. Emeka Uhegbu, who spoke with The Leader recently. However he did not explain how they came about the number.

The spokesman of the centre explained that more than four decades after the war ended, the region that was the theatre of war then, have remained unsafe as unexploded bombs, landmines and other forms of explosives have continued to kill Ndigbo.

These lethal weapons of destruction, the Media Director further noted, are littered on farmlands, fields, public buildings, church premises, vast lands that served as battle field, and other facilities that served as military camps. “They must be removed for people to access their lands for industrial and agricultural purposes” said Dr. Uhegbu. He cautioned against tampering with any strange object, particularly metal, found on their farms, buildings or industrial sites however rusty it appears, as such explosives retain their potency as long as they are unexploded.

He disclosed that over 17,000 explosives including landmines have been removed by the Nigerian Mines Action Centre. He advised anyone sighting any strange metal object to report promptly to the Mine Action Centre for necessary action.

On why the explosives have not been cleared entirely 43 years after the war, Dr. Uhegbu blamed the government for their negligence and the lack of co-operation, and apathy, by the people.  He also said that there have been some instances of outright hostility towards the bomb disposal team by communities where the explosives are found. He also said his establishment is poorly funded and incapable of meeting with the challenges of their duties.

Asked to comment on the bomb discovered at Isiala Mbano, Imo State in 2012, Dr. Uhegbu said such discoveries should be reported to the Mines Centre for proper disposal. He cautioned against the Police meddling with explosives which the bomb expert described as “military ordinance”, saying, “Police do not produce or use bombs” and regretted that many policemen have lost their lives in the process and members of the public put at risk.

He announced that the Mine Action Centre has embarked on what he described as “Mine Education Campaign” with the view to dispersing the cloud of suspicion and ignorance among the affected communities, and to build better co-operation with the rescue teams.

Dr. Uhegbu explained that the Nigerian Mine Action Centre Owerri was mandated to cover the12 states in the South, including Imo, Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi etc, states in the South-South including two states in North Central – Nassarawa and Benue states. His team he said  is an off-shoot of Ministry of Defence. He recalled that Mine Action centres all over the world are charged with the responsibility to control proliferation of arms and remove explosive remnants of wars.

After the civil war, Nigeria became a signatory to the OTTAWA (Canada) Treaty of the United Nations that placed a total ban on the use of landmines during wars all over the world. Consequently, the Federal Government of Nigeria ordered the destruction of all landmines on her military inventory. Nigerian Mines Action Centre was initiated by the late Shehu Yar’Adua Administration, but has received more support from the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

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