An Online Anonymous Group on Friday threatened to bomb Our Lady Queen of Apostles Catholic Church, Ilupeju, Lagos.
Daily Sun reports that the Catholic Church was listed among the targeted places in Lagos to bomb by the unknown group.
The development generated panic among parishioners, who hurriedly left the Church compound.
Daily Sun reports that the Special Bomb Disposable Unit has been drafted to the Catholic Church.
On arrival, the bomb unit combed the entire Church compound while other security personnel kept watching over the Church.
The Director of Social Communications, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Rev. Fr. Anthony Godonu, who confirmed the bomb threat, said the police have been informed of the threat.
Godonu said the bomb threat was seen in an online Anonymous Group and Our Lady Queen of Apostles Catholic Church, Illupeju was listed.
Godonu revealed that Archbishop Martins has sent an urgent memo to parish priests to immediately take precautionary measures. He said parishioners/visitors would be screened on Sunday and regularly for safety’s sake.
He said: “There is an online media called Anonymous Group. One of our parishes was mentioned as a target for bombing. We had to report to the Lagos State Police Command.
“The Archbishop has been informed about the threat. He has directed all the parish priests to tighten security in their various Churches. We have to engage the police because it is their duty to handle the such threat.”
The director of social communications said he doesn’t know why the sudden focus on Catholic Churches by the unknown gang.
REPORTERS AT LARGE recently reported that a few hours after the United States Department of State granted authorised departure status to the Embassy of the United States, Abuja, residents of the Trademore Estate in Abuja, were on Tuesday night thrown into confusion as security forces reportedly raided the premises following a tip-off on the presence of a terrorist.
The sting operation in the Phase 4 section of the estate had led to a complete shutdown of the area, as armed intelligence personnel and others suspected to be American special forces, swooped on a building where a middle-aged man was picked up.