The Niger State Police Command has recovered a suspected military unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Zugurma community, Mashegu Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, disclosed this in a statement issued in Minna on Tuesday. He said the recovery followed a report received on Monday from the Divisional Police Officer of the Ibbi Division in Mashegu.
According to Abiodun, residents of the community had earlier sighted an object suspected to be a missile in a forest within the area. Police operatives from the division were immediately deployed to the scene, where they cordoned off the area to ensure the safety of residents.
He said the Commissioner of Police, Adamu Elleman, subsequently ordered the deployment of additional personnel, including the command’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal–Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) unit, led by CSP Mohammed Mamun.
Abiodun explained that operatives of the division, with the assistance of community members, guided the EOD team to the exact location of the object. The device was rendered safe and recovered before being moved to the State Police Headquarters in Minna.
The police spokesman identified the object as a UXO missile or military unexploded ordnance, adding that its source was yet to be determined. He said investigations into the incident were ongoing and that further updates would be provided in due course.
He added that the Commissioner of Police urged residents to remain calm, assuring that security agencies were fully deployed to ensure safety and restore normalcy in the affected and surrounding communities.
