The people of Ochima community in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, yesterday, embarked on a peaceful protest against an alleged plan to take over their ancestral land by the Nigerian Army.

The protesters comprising youths, elderly men and women marched in their hundreds from the community’s borehole at Ochima junction, chanting songs of discontent over the alleged encroachment to the palace of their traditional ruler, carrying placards with different inscriptions such as

“Nigerian government should come to our rescue”, “Nigerian Army should leave Ochima land”, “We say no to Nigeria Army taking our land,” Nigeria army should stop spraying bullets in our land” and “Nigerian Army leave our ancestral land for us,” among others.

Speaking, Igwe Hyacinth Ugwu-Ogbuke, the traditional ruler of the community (Ochima) said that it is an aberration that the Nigeria Army would enter the community and start surveying and planting beacons on their ancestral land without informing or consulting the community leaders.

“What the military is planning to do in our community is provocative and must be condemned by every well-meaning Nigerian.

“We have a pending case against them in the court regarding their plan to convert part of our ancestral lands as their training ground.

“Ochima community has never had any agreement or land transaction with the Nigerian Army that would warrant them to encroach or take any part of our land for any reason.

The traditional ruler, however, appealed to the protesting community members to remain calm assuring that the court would do Justice to the matter.

Also speaking, Mr. Gerald Okwesili, the President General, Ochima General Assembly, said that members of the community decided to come together to protest the moves by the army to take over their land and ancestral homes without consulting the community leaders.

He said that military personnel from 82 Division, Enugu came to their community on the 13th and 14th of July 2024, heavily armed, and started planting beacons on their land, as well as telling residents that the land belongs to the Nigerian Army.

“We are calling on the government at all levels to please come to our rescue, the Nigerian army is planning to take over our land and other ancestral inheritances away from us.

“Last Saturday, they came to our community and started mounting beacons along our land, and they continued on Sunday.

“The situation has triggered fear and apprehension among our people, who are now afraid of losing the ancestral home, worship places, and other sacred and ancestral inheritance to the military.”

Elder Madubuattah Nwokwesili, the eldest man in the community said that there was never a time the community had any land transaction or reached any agreement with the Nigerian military, and wondered why they were laying claim to the land.

However, when contacted, the spokesperson of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, Jonah Unuakhalu, said he wasn’t aware of what Ochima community was protesting for but noted that they have a military shooting range somewhere in Udi Local Government Area. He promised to make inquiries into the matter.

“I am not aware of what the Ochima community is protesting for, I know we have a military shooting range somewhere in Udi LGA, but I will make inquiries,” he said. (Sunday Sun)

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