Nigerian Army Hits Back: ‘We Didn’t Shoot Women Protesters in Lamurde’

The Nigerian Army has strongly denied swirling reports alleging that soldiers attached to the Commander of the 23 Brigade opened fire on women protesters during a disturbance in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

In an official statement released on Tuesday in Yola, Capt. Olusegun Abidoye, spokesperson for the 23 Brigade, described the online publications as “misleading, unfounded, and an attempt to smear the image of the Brigade, its Commander, and the Nigerian Army.”

According to Capt. Abidoye, neither the Brigade Commander nor his escorts were present at the scene of the clash. He stated that the Commander was participating virtually in the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational briefing at the exact time the alleged shooting reportedly took place.

Security sources confirmed that troops were only deployed after receiving distress reports of a communal clash between the Bachama and Chobo ethnic groups on Monday, a conflict rooted in longstanding land disputes and ethnic tensions.

Combined security teams from the Army, Police, and other Agencies swiftly moved into affected communities, including Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku, and Lamurde, to restore order.

The Army urged the public to disregard what it called “falsehoods intentionally circulated to inflame tensions,” assuring that peacekeeping operations in the area remain ongoing.