Headquarters 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army has dismissed as false a report circulating on Sahara Reporters and other online platforms alleging that soldiers attached to the Brigade Commander opened fire on women protesters during a communal clash in Adamawa State.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, by the Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations for Sector 4 Operation Hadin Kai / 23 Brigade, Capt. Olusegun Abidoye, described the allegation as baseless, misleading and aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the Brigade, its Commander, and the Nigerian Army.
The Army clarified that at the time of the alleged incident, the Brigade Commander was attending a virtual operational briefing with the Chief of Army Staff and was nowhere near the scene of the clash.
It added that neither he nor his escorts were involved in any shooting.
According to the statement, troops from 23 Brigade Garrison, supported by the Nigeria Police Force, NSCDC and DSS, were deployed to several communities in Lamurde Local Government Area around 1:30 a.m. on Monday following renewed clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities over unresolved land disputes and ethnic tensions.
During the intervention, an armed militia suspected to belong to one of the warring groups allegedly opened fire on the troops.
The soldiers responded professionally, neutralising three of the attackers and forcing the rest to flee.
Further exploitation of the area led to the discovery of five more dead militia members and a motorcycle along their escape route.
The Army further disclosed that while troops were en route to secure the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat after receiving intelligence that it was about to be attacked, a group of women blocked their movement.
At the same time, armed men believed to be affiliated with the Bachama community reportedly fired indiscriminately within the area.
Troops eventually cleared a narrow passage and continued to the Secretariat without harming any of the protesters.
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The Army noted that two corpses of women were later brought to the Local Government Lodge by residents, who claimed the women were shot by soldiers.
However, Headquarters 23 Brigade dismissed the allegation, stating that the deaths resulted from the “unprofessional handling of automatic weapons” by local militias who lacked proper training.
While extending condolences to the families of the deceased, the Brigade urged both communities to embrace peace to prevent further loss of life and destruction of property.
The Army reaffirmed its commitment to protecting civilians and maintaining law and order within its area of responsibility, calling on the public to disregard what it termed a malicious and unfounded report.
