Residents of Maiduguri, Borno State, have been urged to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious objects or activities to security agencies following the recovery of an unexploded hand grenade in the Moduganari area of the metropolis.
The Borno State Police Command said the explosive device was discovered on a drainage slab in the area on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso, said the police received a report about the suspected unexploded ordnance at about 12:40 p.m.
According to him, operatives of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal-Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) Base 13, Maiduguri, were immediately mobilised to the scene on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmajid.
Daso said the team successfully recovered the hand grenade and secured it for further examination, while investigations were launched to establish its origin and the circumstances surrounding its discovery.
He commended residents for their vigilance and prompt response in alerting the authorities, stressing that timely reporting of suspicious objects could help prevent possible loss of lives and property.
The police spokesman warned members of the public against touching, moving or tampering with suspected explosive devices, advising them to immediately notify security agencies whenever such objects are found.
The development comes as security authorities and residents continue efforts to sustain the relative peace recorded in parts of Borno State after years of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgency.
The need for continued vigilance was also emphasised by the Catholic Bishop of Maiduguri Diocese, Most Reverend Oliver Dashe, who on Saturday called on Christians to intensify prayers for an end to insecurity in the Northeast and the country.
Dashe made the call while speaking with journalists after a church session marking the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Maiduguri.
The cleric said the Catholic Church had continued to rely on prayers, the rosary, pilgrimages and other religious devotions while also recognising the need for decisive action by authorities to defeat terrorists.
“From the religious angle, we know that prayers will crush Boko Haram. However, we should know that as we pray, human beings must also do their work,” he said.
Dashe commended the relative peace being experienced in parts of Borno, noting that many residents who had fled their communities during the peak of the insurgency had returned.
He, however, warned that the gains recorded in the fight against insurgency must be sustained through continued vigilance, prayers and stronger security operations.
The Archbishop urged the Federal and Borno State governments to provide security personnel with the necessary support and resources to enable them to confront terrorists operating in forests and mountainous areas.
“I call on the government, both at the federal and state levels, to do the needful in ensuring that security personnel are able to go to the forest and mountains in order to fetch these terrorists and their members for peace to return to our state and country at large,” he said.
He further encouraged Christians to remain alert and contribute to efforts aimed at preserving peace in their communities.
The recovery of the grenade highlights the lingering security risks associated with years of conflict in Borno, even as residents return to communities that were previously affected by insurgent activities.
With security agencies continuing operations against terrorist groups, authorities have repeatedly stressed the importance of cooperation from residents, particularly through the prompt reporting of suspicious movements, objects and activities.
For Maiduguri residents, the police said vigilance and timely communication with security agencies remain essential to preventing abandoned or unexploded ordnance from posing a danger to the public.
