Cache of Civil War arms found in Imo

A large cache of assorted arms buried by Biafran soldiers during the 30-month Nigeria/Biafra war, which ended in 1970, has been found at Saint Patrick’s Secondary School, Ogbe, Ahiara, Ahiazu Mbaise local council area of Imo State.

The shocking discovery included rifles, ammunition of various calibers, conventional live mortar bombs and the famous locally made Ogbunigwe and Ojukwu Buckets.
Already,  out-going Imo State governor, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has described the discovery as “not only shocking but also clear evidence that some areas of the state remain unsafe for human habitation”.

Ohakim, who was reacting during an interview in Owerri, said he was optimistic that the Federal Ministry of Defence will do everything possible to make the war-ravaged states safe for human habitation and activities.

Vanguard gathered that a native of Ahiara, Mr. Cajethan Ndulaka, who raised the alarm, recalled that he was still a student of Saint Patrick’s Secondary School when the landmines, bombs, rifles, ammunition and other explosive remnants of the war were buried.

It was equally gathered that as at the time of going to press, no fewer than 68 types of mortar bombs had been recovered from the dumps located in the school.

“There are other arms dump sites in and around the school compound. These dangerous ordinances were buried in the college compound to prevent accidental explosion that would have killed the students,” Ndulaka recalled.

Noting that the villagers did not know that the unexploded ordinances were potential threat to the lives of the students, even as they were buried in the school compound, Ndulaka also recalled that the school served as a barrack for Biafran soldiers.

“The school served as a barrack for Biafran Army engineers, who made and stockpiled arms and ammunition in the school during the war.”
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