Quote:IN June 2021, there were media reports about abuse of human rights, burning of homes, loss of properties and other atrocities allegedly carried out by Nigerian Army personnel in Ohafia, Abia state. The ICIR’s Olanrewaju Oyedeji visited Ohafia in Abia state to investigate the root cause of the crisis.

Background

OHAFIA is a town in Ohafia local government area (LGA) of Abia State, Southeast Nigeria that is home to the third-largest military base in the country, named Goodluck Jonathan Barracks, after a former Nigerian president. The military base houses the headquarters of the 14 Brigade and 145 Battalion office complex.

The town comprises twenty-six villages with population strength ranging between 800,000 and 916,000 as of 2014. The villages in Ohafia include: Elu, Ibina (Ihenta), Nde Okala, Nde Anyaorie, Amuma, Amaekpu, Ebem, Nde Amogu, Okagwe, Nde Uduma Ukwu, Oboro, Nde Nku, Nkwebi, Amuke, Asaga, Ndi Uduma Awoke, Amankwu, Nde Ibe, Nde Orieke, Okon-aku, Amangwu, Ufiele, Eziafor, Abia, Akanu, Isiugwu. Ancient Ohafia people were renowned as mighty warriors for their bravery and exploits in battles in pre-colonial Nigeria.

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How the crisis starts

Since the averted massacre of the Ohafia people in a planned face-off with the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) around 1901, not much has been heard about the town, save for the pockets of crime, including kidnapping that led to the establishment of the 14 Brigade in February 2011.

In June, ten years after the establishment of the military base, Ohafia was attacked by soldiers in an alleged retaliation after an officer was injured by a bullet fired at him by some armed men suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

It was gathered that the incident occurred at Ebem park (the biggest motor-park in Ohafia) while some men dressed in mufti but armed with Dane guns which they fired at each other in an open display of resistance to firearms. One of them shot at a military officer who had come to buy goods at the Ebem daily market without any provocation.

The officer was said to have escaped the scene with injuries, and later several soldiers arrived at the Ebem Park which is about three kilometres from their barracks, dislodged all workers and occupied the premises for two weeks as they demanded information about the men who had shot at their colleague.

An unofficial source said it took an order from the headquarters of the Nigerian Army before the soldiers vacated the park, as the Ohafia command reportedly noted that the area was outside their jurisdiction.

A resident who spoke under anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue stated that when the gunshots from the gunmen were first heard, they (the townsmen) presumed that the shots were from the nearby Army or Police barracks.

“Immediately we saw that they were men in mufti, we ran away,” the eyewitness told this reporter.

The crisis escalates

After vacating Ebem Park, the soldiers reportedly set up roadblocks and invaded some villages in Ohafia such as Amangwu, which shares a border with Ebonyi State and is surrounded by forests and bushes, with only a few motorable roads. Residents of Amangwu are predominantly farmers and traders, and the soldiers believed that they were providing refuge for the gunmen.

The ICIR learnt that military personnel stormed Amangwu on June 11 in seven Army Hilux vans, shooting sporadically and throwing firebombs into shops and houses. According to multiple sources, the soldiers stayed in the village for two days before leaving on June 13.

A commercial motorcycle rider from Okongo who came to the community to drop off a lady was reportedly killed by the soldiers during the sporadic shooting.