Pandemonium was said to have broken out in the Mubi community of Adamawa State after scavengers, while loading scrap materials at a local garage, reportedly discovered suspected explosive devices hidden among items they had received.
The explosive was suspected to have been left behind by bandits terrorizing vulnerable communities in the region, possibly concealed within the scrap materials brought in from crisis-prone areas.
Confirming the development, the chairman of the Scrap Scavengers Association, Boda Abdullahi, explained that the scavengers stumbled upon the device during routine loading at the garage.
“They knew it wasn’t just scrap metal, so they reported it to me first, and together we reached out to the police. That quick action prevented a tragedy,” he said.
Following the alert, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit of the police command moved in, secured the area, and safely evacuated the device for controlled detonation.
A police source told correspondents that the swift intervention restored calm, adding that residents were safe and that there was no further threat in the area.
“This incident shows why community vigilance is crucial,” a security operative said. “When residents quickly report suspicious objects, we can act before lives are lost.”
He further warned that all scavenging companies and depots within the state should stop receiving consignments from crisis-prone areas, especially from the North-East.
