The Headquarters of the 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army has dismissed as false and misleading reports alleging that women protesters were shot by escorts of the Brigade Commander during a communal crisis in Adamawa State.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Brigade described the report, published by Sahara Reporters and some online media platforms on December 8, 2025, as baseless and a deliberate attempt to tarnish the image of the Brigade, its Commander, and the Nigerian Army.
The Army clarified that contrary to the allegations, neither the Brigade Commander nor his escorts were present at the scene of the incident. According to the statement, the Brigade Commander was at the time participating virtually in the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational briefing.
Providing details of the incident, the Brigade explained that combined security forces comprising troops of 23 Brigade Garrison, the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Department of State Services (DSS) responded to reports of communal clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities in Lamurde Local Government Area at about 1:35 a.m. on Monday, December 8, 2025.
The clash was reportedly triggered by unresolved land disputes and longstanding ethnic tensions between the two communities. Troops were deployed to affected areas, including Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku and Lamurde, to restore law and order.
During the operation, the troops allegedly came under attack by a militia group suspected to be fighting on behalf of one of the warring communities. The Army said its personnel engaged the attackers in a firefight, during which three armed militia members were neutralised, while others fled the area. A subsequent exploitation of the militia’s withdrawal route reportedly led to the discovery of five additional neutralised gunmen and a motorcycle.
The statement further noted that troops later received intelligence indicating plans by armed persons to attack the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat. While moving to secure the area, some women were said to have blocked the road, as armed men fired sporadically within the community. The Army stressed that no woman was shot or injured during this operation.
However, the Brigade disclosed that two corpses of women were later brought to the Local Government Lodge by community members, who alleged they were killed by troops. The Army denied responsibility, attributing the deaths to the unprofessional handling of automatic weapons by local militias.
Despite denying the allegations, the Brigade expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased women and called on the affected communities to embrace peace to prevent further loss of lives and destruction of property.
The statement reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to its constitutional role of aiding civil authorities and maintaining peace and stability within its area of responsibility, urging the public to disregard what it described as malicious and unfounded reports.
