Following protests by residents of Omilabu, Idi-Omo, Ajobo and some other communities situated along Arulogun-Igbo Oloyin road in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State, the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army has refuted allegation that it damaged lives and property there during its shooting exercises. .
The communities in Ibadan had alleged that projectiles from the exercise caused damage to their lives and property any time the division conducted shooting exercise at its range.
While addressing journalists on Monday in Ibadan, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Odogbo Cantonment, Col. Hassan Mohammed, disclosed that a distance of 2,000 metres existed between the “ Stop-Butt ’’ of the range and the communities.
He posited that the effective range of the main weapon (Ak47 rifle) being fired was 800 metres.
Col. Mohammed maintained that it was impossible for the projectile to travel up to a distance of 2,000 metres and wreak havoc as claimed by the communities.
The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations said that the Stop-Butt at the range was designed to absorb and prevent any projectile from traveling out of the range area during live firing.
He argued that the bullet fired at the range was flat trajectory and aimed at specific targets placed at the base of the stop-butt adding that it is impossible for the bullet to fly above the Stop-Butt.
Col. Mohammed revealed that the distance from the Stop-Butt to the cantonment’s fence toward the community was more than 1,000 metres, stressing that this meant that any bullet that escaped the Stop-Butt would fall within the army land because the army acquired 7,200 acres of land for the cantonment in 1974.
He added that a clear understanding of the gazette in respect of the land showed that the communities in the aforementioned places were wider apart from the land boundary.
“The range has never been relocated or expanded since its establishment in 1976.
“Rather, it is the adjourning communities that have continuously encroached to their present location and the buffer zone that previously existed between the shooting Range and the communities,’’ he said.
The General Officer Commanding, GOC, 2 Division, Major-General Okudili Azinta said that the division had never had any casualty during its range activities.
He maintained that the claims by those residents were being orchestrated by land speculators with the aim of compelling the army to relinquish portion of the land to them.
Major-General Azinta described the claims as “ selfish and ill-motivated”, and calculated to harangue the army into allowing continued illegal encroachment on its property.
Packaged by Ojo Peter
