Residents of Owo, the hometown of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, have raised alarm over what they describe as a fresh attempt by the Nigerian Army to take over their ancestral land. The situation grew tense on Monday when the community staged a peaceful protest to show their anger over the presence of soldiers in the area despite an existing court order stopping such action.
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Women, youths and elders marched through the community with placards calling for the withdrawal of soldiers and asking the federal and state governments to intervene. They argued that the renewed presence of the Army has brought fear and unrest to the area.
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The community’s lawyer, Barrister Igwenagu Ngene, told journalists that the dispute began in 2015 when soldiers first arrived in the town and marked some buildings as Army property. He said the Army also placed signs and markers around the land, claiming ownership of the entire community. Letters sent to the 82 Division and petitions submitted to the Enugu State Government and House of Assembly did not solve the problem.
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Ngene explained that the community later took the matter to the National Assembly, which after holding hearings, asked the Army to vacate the land because it could not produce any document to show ownership. He said soldiers left after that intervention but returned again in April 2025. This new action led the community to seek legal protection from the Enugu State High Court. Justice C. O. Ajah granted an injunction restricting the Army from entering the land until the case is decided.
At his palace, the traditional ruler of Owo, Igwe Godwin Okeke Arum, condemned what he described as harassment by soldiers. He said the military had threatened to take over his palace, sacred sites and even the ancestral home of Governor Mbah. He complained that construction projects have been destroyed and that investors are staying away because of the tension.
The President-General of the community, Chief John Ogbu, appealed to the federal and state governments to step in quickly. He said residents are now afraid to go to their farms due to fear of armed soldiers. He added that the Army must obey the court order and allow the community to live in peace, insisting that Owo would not give up its land to force or intimidation.
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