The Nigerian Army’s 23 Brigade in Adamawa State has denied reports that its troops opened fire on women protesting a communal clash in Lamurde, allegedly killing seven of them.
The Brigade said neither the Commander nor his escorts was present at the scene when the violence occurred, insisting that the report was false and misleading.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the spokesperson of 23 Brigade, Captain Olusegun Abidoye, dismissed the claims in a document titled “Report of Purported Shooting of Women Protesters by Escorts to Brigade Commander, Absolutely False.”
According to the Brigade, combined troops of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) received a distress report at about 1:35 a.m. on Monday, 8 December 2025, over violent clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The Army said the conflict stemmed from unresolved land disputes and long-standing ethnic tensions between the two communities, affecting areas such as Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku and Lamurde town.
It stated that during troop intervention, a militia group suspected to be aligned with the Chobo community attacked security forces. In the ensuing firefight, three gunmen were neutralised, while others fled. Further exploitation of the area reportedly led to the discovery of five additional neutralised militia members and a motorcycle along their escape route, bringing the total to eight.
The Brigade explained that troops later received intelligence that another group had mobilised to attack the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat. While advancing to the area, some women reportedly blocked the road, while armed men believed to be aligned with the rival Bachama community allegedly fired indiscriminately into the area.
The Army maintained that no woman was shot or injured by its troops, stating that soldiers created a passage through the crowd and successfully secured the secretariat.
It further said that while troops were stationed at the Local Government Lodge, two corpses of women were brought in by residents who claimed the women were killed by soldiers. The Brigade rejected the allegation, stating that the deaths were caused by indiscriminate gunfire from local militia members.
While expressing sympathy to the families of the deceased women, the Brigade urged the affected communities to embrace peace and avoid further loss of lives and property.
The Army reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining peace and supporting civil authorities, and called on the public to disregard what it described as a malicious and misleading report.
