The Police Command in Niger State has recovered a suspected military unexploded ordnance (UXO) device in the Zugurma community, located in Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, revealed this in a statement issued in Minna on Tuesday.
He explained that the recovery followed a report received on Monday from the Divisional Police Officer of Ibbi Division in Mashegu.
He added that some residents of the community had spotted an object believed to be a missile inside a forest within the area.
Abiodun stated that police operatives from the division immediately responded to the location and cordoned off the area to ensure the safety of residents.
He said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Adamu Elleman, ordered the deployment of personnel to the scene.
He also noted that the command’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal–Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) unit, led by CSP Mohammed Mamun, arrived at the location on Tuesday.
Abiodun added that operatives from the division, working together with community members, directed the team to the exact spot where the object was discovered.
He said: “The EOD team rendered the device safe and recovered it into custody before its onward movement to the State Police Headquarters in Minna.”
The police spokesman explained that the device was identified as a UXO missile or military unexploded ordnance, noting that its source had not yet been determined.
He stated that further investigation into the incident was ongoing and assured that additional details would be made public in due course.
Abiodun further said that the Commissioner of Police appealed to members of the public to remain calm, emphasising that all security agencies were on the ground to ensure safety and restore normalcy in the affected and surrounding areas.
