POLICE ALLAY FEARS OVER PLANNED DESTRUCTION OF EXPIRED EXPLOSIVES IN RIVERS

The Rivers State Police Command has alerted residents of Kporghor Community in Tai Local Government Area of the state and its environs to the planned destruction of expired explosive materials by Halliburton Energy Services Nigeria Limited.

The police said the materials, which are in the custody of the company, had been examined by relevant experts and confirmed to have expired.

The command, therefore, urged residents of Kporghor Community and the general public not to panic if they hear loud explosions during the exercise, assuring them that all necessary precautionary measures had been put in place to prevent any danger.

The spokesperson for the state Police Command, ASP Blessing Agabe, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday night.

Agabe said the exercise would be carried out from Wednesday to Friday this week by a team of Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) operatives.

The statement read, “The Rivers State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that approval has been granted to Halliburton Energy Services Nigeria Limited to render safe and destroy some explosive materials in its custody, which have been examined by relevant experts and found to have expired.

“This exercise will be carried out from Wednesday, July 8, to Friday, July 10, 2026, by a team of Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD-CBRN) operatives in Port Harcourt at Kporghor Community in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State.

“The general public, especially residents of Kporghor Community, are hereby advised not to panic if they hear loud explosions during the exercise, as every necessary precautionary measure has been put in place to avert any danger.”

Over time, the chemical compounds in explosives can degrade or crystallise, significantly increasing the risk of accidental detonation or hazardous chemical leakage.

Controlled disposal is therefore required to ensure public safety.