Arms dump found outside Nigerian church

Memories of January's deadly munitions blast are fresh

Police in Nigeria have confirmed news reports that rockets and mortars were found in the grounds of a church in Makurdi, in central Nigeria.

Workers digging a pit-latrine discovered 13 rockets and two mortars in a ditch at the back of the Holiness Evangelistic Ministries church.

Local residents told reporters that the area used to be a military depot until the 1970s, indicating the weapons could have lain there ever since.

An army bomb disposal unit is expected in Makurdi to clear the site.

More than 1,000 people died in Lagos in January, when a poorly-maintained munitions store blew up.

President Olusegun Obasanjo has launched an inquiry into the tragedy and said the results will be made public.