Adamawa Clash: Army Explains Operation, Refutes Claim of Shooting Women Protesters
Headquarters 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army has dismissed reports alleging that soldiers opened fire on women during a communal clash in Adamawa State, describing the claims as false, misleading, and aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the Brigade and its Commander.
The allegation, published by some online platforms (not PRNigeria) on Monday, claimed that escorts attached to the Brigade Commander shot protesting women during the crisis.
However, in a statement issued by Captain Olusegun Abidoye, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, the Army clarified that the Brigade Commander was not present at the scene, as he was participating virtually in the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational briefing at the time of the alleged incident.
According to the Army, troops from 23 Brigade Garrison, working alongside the police, NSCDC and DSS, received a distress alert at about 1:30am on Monday about renewed clashes between Bachama and Chobo communities in Lamurde Local Government Area over land disputes and ethnic grievances.
Security forces reportedly moved swiftly into the affected settlements of Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku, and Lamurde to restore calm.
Read Also:
The statement disclosed that troops came under attack from suspected militias fighting for one of the warring communities. The soldiers returned fire and neutralized three gunmen, forcing others to retreat. A follow-up sweep on the militia’s escape route reportedly led to the discovery of five additional dead fighters and a motorcycle.
The Army further explained that while troops were heading to secure the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat following intelligence of a planned assault, some women blocked the road to obstruct troop movement, while armed men believed to be from the Bachama faction fired indiscriminately nearby. “No woman was shot or injured,” the statement emphasized, adding that the troops created a narrow passage and continued their mission.
The Brigade noted that the bodies of two women brought to the Local Government Lodge by residents were wrongly attributed to military action. It insisted that the fatalities were caused by the “unprofessional handling of automatic weapons” by local militias unfamiliar with operating such firearms.
While expressing deep sympathy to the families of the deceased, the Brigade appealed for calm and urged both communities to embrace peace to avoid further loss of lives and property. It assured that the Nigerian Army remains committed to supporting civil authorities, maintaining stability, and carrying out its constitutional duties with professionalism.
The public was advised to disregard reports suggesting the Army shot protesters during the operation.
By PRNigeria
