Militia, not Army, responsible for deaths in Adamawa clash 

The Nigerian Army’s 23 Brigade has denied reports that its soldiers shot civilians during a communal clash in Lamurde Local Government Area, Adamawa State, on Monday, December 8.

In a statement on Tuesday, Captain Olusegun Abidoye, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for Sector 4, called the reports “baseless and misleading,” saying neither the Brigade Commander nor his escorts were at the scene.

“The commander was attending the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational briefing virtually at the time of the alleged incident,” the statement said.

The statement explained that combined security forces, including troops from 23 Brigade, the police, NSCDC, and DSS, responded to clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities, which stemmed from long-standing land disputes and ethnic tensions. Troops were deployed to affected areas including Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku, and Lamurde to restore peace.

During operations, a militia group supporting one of the communities reportedly attacked the troops. Soldiers said they neutralized three gunmen, with additional militia members later found along their withdrawal route along with a motorcycle.

The Army clarified that when a possible attack on the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat was reported, troops moved to secure the area. Some women initially blocked their path, and armed men allegedly fired indiscriminately. The statement said no civilians were shot by Army personnel, and the two women who later died were killed due to the mishandling of weapons by the militias.

The Brigade expressed condolences to the families of the slain women and urged the warring communities to embrace peace to avoid further loss of life and property. It also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting civil authorities and called on the public to ignore “malicious reports.”