The death toll from Monday’s violent incident in Lamurde Local Government Area, Adamawa State, has risen to nine, with 51 others receiving treatment for gunshot injuries sustained during a protest reportedly disrupted by soldiers escorting a senior army officer.
According to community sources who spoke to Sahara Reporters on Tuesday, the victims—predominantly women—were participating in a protest linked to renewed communal tensions when security forces allegedly opened fire. A local elder stated, “After the dust settled and a proper count was taken, the figures are as follows: nine dead; 23 hospitalized in Numan; 28 hospitalized in Yola, bringing the total to 60 injured.”
The elder further revealed that the unrest led to widespread destruction, with several homes, farmlands, domestic animals, and other valuable properties, collectively worth hundreds of millions of naira, damaged or destroyed, deepening existing tensions in the conflict-prone area.
Army Denies Allegations of Shooting Civilians
The 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, however, denied reports that its personnel opened fire on civilians. In a statement issued on Tuesday by Captain Olusegun Abidoye, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, the army said its personnel, alongside officers from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Department of State Services (DSS), were deployed to clear barricades erected by protesters. These barricades, the army stated, were allegedly meant to prevent an attempt to set the Lamurde council secretariat on fire.
The statement emphasized that Brigadier General Amechi Agwu, the commanding officer, was not physically present at the scene, noting that he was virtually attending the Chief of Army Staff’s operational briefing at the time of the reported shooting. The army maintained that no civilians were shot by its personnel and described the security operation as a response to threats from armed militia groups amid ongoing clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities.
Despite the army’s clarification, local residents fear the casualty figure may rise, as many of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. The incident has further heightened anxiety in Lamurde, a region already grappling with recurrent communal conflicts and security challenges.
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