•Anxiety in Enugu community over suspected live bomb discovered in disputed farmland
From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
A protracted land dispute between the Nigerian Army and Ochima community in Igbo-Etiti Local Government, Enugu State, has taken a dangerous turn, as villagers recently discovered a live explosive device buried in their farmland. They insist that the land was never ceded for military use.
Though it was not the first time such a dangerous object was discovered, the incident has reignited deep-rooted fear. Palpable apprehension pervades the community such that children no longer play freely.
Farmers think twice before stepping into their fields. Streams are avoided. Houses closest to the shooting range of the army in the area are now empty and abandoned by families who could no longer bear the risk.
This led to renewed protests from the community. At the heart of their frustration is what they describe as a relentless and dangerous encroachment on their land by the 82nd Division, Nigerian Army, whose shooting range activities have reportedly turned the community into an unintended battlefield.
Clad in dark expressions of pain, Ochima residents took to the streets in a peaceful but emotionally charged protest. Bearing placards with such messages as “Nigerian Army should leave Ochima community alone,” “Stop killing us with bullets, bombs and missiles” and “Government should rescue Ochima from the Nigerian Army,” the people expressed anguish over what they saw as a betrayal by a system meant to protect them.
Women wept, men chanted and children followed in sombre confusion. For many of them, the bomb scare was only a symbol of the larger nightmare, a community caught between life and unexploded ordnance.
President-general, Ochima Town Union, Gerald Ubaka, did not mince words. His tone was steady but laden with sorrow: “We are in danger. We can no longer live comfortably in our own homes. Men, women and children live in constant fear. Bullets from the Nigerian Army’s shooting range at the 82 Division fall into our lands regularly.
“Last year, we found one. Now, we’ve found another. In both cases, they were in farmlands. This means our lives are at risk even when we go out to feed our families.”
He recalled the tragic death of a young woman, Gloria, who was struck by a stray bullet on February 8, 2022, highlighting that farming, the community’s main occupation, has become nearly impossible: “She died. A young woman with dreams, gone, just like that. How many more lives must we lose before something is done?
“We can’t go to our farms. We can’t fetch water from our streams. Some buildings have even been hit by stray bullets. Visitors are scared to come here. We’re gradually becoming a ghost town.”
Daily Sun gathered that, after the recent discovery of the explosive device, the community reported the incident to the Police Divisional Headquarters at Ogbede, Igbo-Etiti LG.
The authorities responded swiftly, contacting the Police Anti-Bomb Squad in Enugu. The team arrived and successfully neutralised the explosive on May 10, 2025.
While the timely response was commendable, nothing was actually done to calm the apprehensive residents. For them, the detonation was a reminder of what could have gone horribly wrong.
“This thing could have exploded while a child was walking to school,” said a farmer who preferred not to be named. “We’re living on a ticking time bomb.”
Ochima people insist that the land in question was never officially ceded to the military. In fact, they view the Army’s presence as an outright encroachment on their ancestral land.
According to the President-General, the community has made several efforts to reclaim their space: “In 2023, we wrote to the Chairman, Igbo-Etiti LG and the state government. We explained what was going on. We begged them to help us. But nothing meaningful came out of it.”
Frustrated but undeterred, the community approached the courts. A law suit against the Nigerian Army over the use of their land as a shooting range is still pending: “We have to fight through every possible channel. This is about our survival.”
Special Adviser on Works to the Igbo-Etiti LG Chairman, who hails from Ochima, Onyebuchi Otoboeze, said the protest was necessary and overdue: “Our homes, our farms have all been damaged. Some people have even been displaced. The protest was an opportunity to remind both the government and the military that our lives matter too.”
Otoboeze praised the Igbo-Etiti Council boss, Eric Odo, for acting swiftly when he was informed that an explosive was discovered: “He contacted the relevant authorities and his prompt response saved lives.
“However, ihis isn’t just about responding to discovered bombs. It’s about preventing them in the first place.”
At the Holy Child Catholic Church, Ochima, the station catechist, Lawrence Igwe, echoed the same fears, restating the trauma the community continues to face: “This is not the kind of life we should live. Bullets and bombs are nobody’s friends. These weapons don’t know tribe, gender or age.
“We could all be victims. The government must come to our aid before something worse happens. This is about humanity. The spiritual wellbeing of this community is being eroded. Fear is a constant companion.”
All efforts to obtain a reaction from the Nigerian Army, 82 Division, Enugu, were unsuccessful, as the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, neither answered calls nor responded to text and WhatsApp messages sent to his phone.
Regardless, the community’s demand was clear and unambiguous: the Army should relocate the shooting range. They want the government, local, state and federal, to step in, take a stand, and restore their right to live and farm in peace.