Enugu Community Panics as Residents Protest Discovery of Explosives in Farms, … Blame Army Shooting Drills

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Tension erupted in Ochima community, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State following discovery of an explosive on their farmland by residents.

The incident has sparked fresh concerns among residents over their safety amid ongoing military activities in the area. The residents then embarked on a protest with the protesters, carrying placards with messages such as “Nigerian Army should leave Ochima community alone” and “Government should come and rescue Ochima community from Nigerian Army.”

They alleged that the bomb was a consequence of routine shooting exercises conducted by the Nigerian Army’s 82 Division based in Enugu State.

Addressing the journalists in the state, the President General of the Ochima Town Union, Mr. Gerald Okwesili Ubaka, decried the increasing danger posed by the army’s shooting range located near the community.

According to him, the latest discovery marks the second time in two years that live explosives have been found in Ochima, both requiring urgent intervention by police bomb disposal units.

“The reason why we are protesting is that we are in danger,” Ubaka said.

“We can no longer live comfortably. Every time, bullets from the Nigerian Army’s shooting range fall on our land. We cannot farm or fetch water from our streams. Last year, we found a bomb. This year again, we found another. In 2022, a bullet killed a young woman named Gloria. Our lives are at risk.”

He added that buildings in the community had been struck by stray bullets, and many residents now live in fear, traumatised and displaced due to the recurring military drills.

The Ochima community previously staged protests in 2024 over the same issue and has since taken legal action against the military, with the case currently pending in court.

Community members are now calling on both the Enugu State and Federal Governments to intervene and relocate the shooting range away from civilian areas.

Ubaka stated that upon discovering the bomb, they immediately reported the incident to the Police Divisional Headquarters in Ogbede, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area.