Nigerian Army reacts to allegation of killing Women Protesters
Nigerian Army reacts to allegation of killing Women Protesters
The Nigerian Army has rejected reports claiming that soldiers attached to the Commander of the 23 Brigade, Yola, opened fire on women protesting during a communal crisis in Adamawa State, describing the allegations as “baseless and misleading.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, Sector 4 Operation Hadin Kai/23 Brigade, Captain Olusegun Abidoye, the Army said the claims were “nothing short of an attempt to smear the image of the Brigade, its Commander, and by extension, the Nigerian Army.”
The statement clarified that the Brigade Commander and his escorts were nowhere near the scene of the alleged shooting. “The Brigade Commander was participating virtually in the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational briefing at the time of the purported shooting,” Abidoye stated.
Providing context to the deployment, the Army explained that troops from the 23 Brigade Garrison—working alongside the Police, NSCDC, and DSS—were sent out early on Monday, December 8, following reports of renewed violence between the Bachama and Chobo communities in Lamurde Local Government Area. The unrest was linked to “unresolved land disputes and ethnic acrimony” between both groups.
Abidoye noted that soldiers were dispatched to restore calm in communities including Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku, and Lamurde, but encountered resistance from an armed militia believed to be backing one of the factions.
“The troops, being a professional, adaptable and combat-ready force, decisively engaged the militia armed men in a firefight,” he said. “During the exchange, three gunmen were neutralised, and others fled the general area. The troops later discovered five additional dead militia members along their withdrawal route, alongside a motorcycle.”
As troops advanced to secure the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat, Abidoye said a group of women staged a blockade on the road, while armed men from the Bachama side were reportedly firing sporadically nearby.
“Troops then created a passage and proceeded to the Local Government Secretariat to secure the area. At this point, no woman was shot or injured. Otherwise, troops would not have been allowed to find any passage through the crowd,” the statement stressed.
He added that community members later brought the bodies of two women to the Local Government Lodge, accusing troops of killing them. However, preliminary investigations suggested the fatalities were the result of the “unprofessional handling of automatic weapons by local militias who are not trained to use such weapons.”
The Brigade extended condolences to the bereaved families and appealed to both communities to halt the violence. “The Brigade deeply sympathises with the families of the slain women and urges the warring communities to avoid unnecessary loss of lives and destruction of property,” Abidoye said.
Reaffirming the Army’s commitment to its mandate, he said the Brigade “remains resolute and committed to maintaining peace and stability” within its operational area.
