The Headquarters 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army has dismissed as entirely false and misleading a report by Sahara Reporters and other online platforms alleging that soldiers attached to the Brigade Commander shot women protesters during a communal clash in Adamawa State.
In a statement issued by Captain Olusegun Abidoye, Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, Sector 4 Operation Hadin Kai / 23 Brigade, the Army described the publication as a deliberate attempt to smear the image of the Brigade, its Commander, and the Nigerian Army.
According to the statement, the Brigade Commander was not at the scene of the incident, as he was participating virtually in the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational briefing at the time the alleged shooting reportedly occurred.
Captain Abidoye explained that troops of the 23 Brigade Garrison, alongside personnel of the Nigerian Police Force, NSCDC, and DSS, responded to a communal clash between the Bachama and Chobo communities in Lamurde Local Government Area around 1:30 a.m. on Monday, 8 December 2025. The clash was said to have stemmed from a long-standing land dispute and ethnic tensions.
During the operation to restore peace in affected communities—including Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku, and Lamurde—a militia group suspected to be aligned with one of the warring sides attacked the troops. The soldiers, described as “professional, adaptable and combat-ready,” engaged the armed men, neutralizing three, while others fled. Troops later discovered five additional neutralized militia members along the group’s withdrawal route.
The statement further noted that while troops were moving to secure the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat following a distress alert, some women blocked the road in protest. At the same time, armed elements believed to be from the opposing faction fired sporadically in the area.
The Army emphasized that no woman was shot or injured by soldiers, stating that troops only created a passage through the protesters to proceed to secure the Secretariat.
However, while stationed at the Local Government Lodge, members of the community brought the bodies of two women, alleging they were killed by soldiers. Captain Abidoye insisted that the deaths were caused by untrained local militias mishandling automatic weapons, not military personnel.
The Brigade expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and urged both communities to embrace peace to prevent further loss of life and property.
Reaffirming its commitment to supporting civil authorities, the 23 Brigade called on the public to disregard the “malicious” report and trust ongoing efforts to maintain stability in the area.
