The people of Ochima in Igbo-Etiti local government area of Enugu State, on Monday, registered their displeasure against the use of their community land as Army Shooting Range.
This is following the alleged discovery of an explosive device in their farm land, which they linked to the Nigerian Army shooting expeditions in the area.
During a peaceful protest, the people claimed that the shooting exercises in the community had left them traumatized, with life and property allegedly lost.
They added that farming in the hinterland had become the most dreaded venture because of the fear of the unknown.
The protesters carried placards that read: “Nigerian Army should leave Ochima community alone, government should come and rescue Ochima community from Nigerian Army", among others.
Mr. Gerald Okwesili, the President General of Ochima community, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said his people were in danger as a result of the shooting range of the 82 Division, Nigerian Army.
He claimed that residents of the community were no longer comfortable and hardly go for farm work and other activities.
He added that on two different occasions, they discovered bombs from their farmlands suspected to have been abandoned by the Army during their training exercise.
‘’The reason we are protesting is that we are in danger. In the community, we cannot live comfortably again, both men, women and children because every time bullets from Nigerian Army shooting range, 82 Division fall in our land.
"We cannot farm, fetch water from stream. In our community, different buildings have been affected by the bullets and last year we discovered a bomb.
"This year again we discovered another bomb. So, in our land all the people and visitors are in danger and we are dying.
"Last time, bullet hit one Gloria on 8th February, 2022 and she died”, he alleged.
The PG said that on the discovery of the bomb, they reported to the Police Division headquarters at Ogbede in Igbo-Etiti local government area, who he said later contacted Police Anti Bomb Squad from Enugu that detonated it.
The detonation, according to him, was on 10th May, 2025.
Okwesili however recalled that in 2024, the community seeing that the Army had turned their place into a shooting range staged peaceful protest to express their dissatisfaction on the encroachment into their land.
He said prior to the protest, the community took the necessary steps, pointing out that they wrote to the chairman of Igbo-Etiti local government area and the Enugu State government in 2023, but nothing much came out of the appeal.
According to him they followed it up with court action and the case was pending.
In an interview with journalists, the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) on Works in Igbo-Etiti local government area, Hon. Engr. Onyebuchi Otoboeze, an indigene of Ochima community, said the protest was an opportunity for the people to address the issue of Nigerian Army that has taken over their land.
He noted that their houses and farms had been destroyed and some people displaced.
He commended the current chairman of Igbo-Etiti local government area, Hon. Eric Odo for taking prompt action in contacting the police when he was informed of a bomb discovered in their community, saying the quick response saved them from impending doom that could have consumed lives.
Also, in a reaction, Mr. Lawrence Igwe, the Station Catechist, Holy Child Catholic Church Ochima, cried out on the danger posed on the community.
He appealed to the government at all levels to come to their aid, to forestall any further calamity in the land.
As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army has not responded to the community's claims.