By ZAKAA LAZARUS
The Headquarters of 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army has debunked as false, misleading and malicious an online report alleging that women protesters were shot by an escort to the Brigade Commander during a communal crisis in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Reacting to the report, the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, Sector 4 Operation Hadin Kai/23 Brigade, Capt. Olusegun Abidoye, said the publication was baseless and aimed at tarnishing the image of the Brigade, its Commander and the Nigerian Army at large.
Abidoye clarified that neither the Brigade Commander nor his escorts were present at the scene at the time the alleged shooting reportedly occurred, stressing that the Commander was participating virtually in the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational briefing at that time.
“The attention of Headquarters 23 Brigade Nigerian Army has been drawn to a baseless report by the Sahara Reporters and some other online media published on Monday 8 December, 2025. The said report levelled unfounded and false allegations against the Brigade and its Commander.
“Contrary to this allegation, Headquarters 23 Brigade wishes to state that the report is bereft of truth and therefore entirely misleading. It is nothing short of an attempt to smear the image of the Brigade and its Commander and by extension the Nigerian Army.”
He explained that the security disturbance began at about 1:35 a.m. on Monday, December 8, 2025, following intelligence about violent clashes between the Bachama and Chobo tribes over unresolved land disputes and lingering ethnic tensions.
According to Abidoye, a combined team of troops from 23 Brigade Garrison, the Nigerian Police Force, NSCDC and the Department of State Services (DSS) immediately mobilised to contain the violence in affected communities.
He disclosed that security forces swiftly moved into Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku and Lamurde to restore normalcy and protect lives and property across the flashpoint areas.
During the operation, Abidoye said troops came under attack from a militia group suspected to be fighting for one of the warring communities, adding that soldiers responded professionally and decisively.
He noted that three armed militia men were neutralised during the exchange of fire, while others fled the scene into surrounding areas to avoid arrest.
Abidoye further disclosed that further exploitation of the militia’s withdrawal route led to the discovery of five additional neutralised gunmen alongside a motorcycle believed to have been used for movement during the attack.
He added that while troops were moving to secure the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat following intelligence of a planned attack, some women blocked the road, while armed men fired sporadically within the community.
“At no point did troops shoot or injure any woman. If that were the case, the troops would not have been able to tactically pass through the crowd to secure the Secretariat,” Abidoye said.
He revealed that two female corpses were later brought to the Local Government Lodge, with unfounded allegations that they were killed by soldiers, but investigations confirmed that the deaths were caused by the reckless handling of automatic weapons by local militias.
While sympathising with the affected families, Abidoye urged both communities to embrace peace, assuring that 23 Brigade remains committed to upholding its constitutional responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in its Area of Responsibility.
