The Headquarters of 23 Brigade Nigerian Army has strongly refuted a report published on 8 December 2025 by Sahara Reporters and certain online platforms alleging that the escort of the Brigade Commander shot female protesters during a communal crisis in Adamawa State.
The Brigade described the publication as completely fabricated, malicious, and designed solely to tarnish the reputation of the Brigade Commander and the Nigerian Army.Official records show that at the exact time of the alleged shooting reportedly occurred, the Brigade Commander was attending the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly virtual operational briefing and was nowhere near the scene.
Joint security forces comprising troops of 23 Brigade Garrison, Nigeria Police, NSCDC, and DSS responded promptly to intelligence received at about 0130 hours on 8 December 2025 regarding renewed communal violence between the Bachama and Chobo communities in Lamurde Local Government Area over longstanding land disputes.
Upon arrival, troops were attacked by an armed militia supporting one of the factions. In the ensuing firefight, three gunmen were neutralised on the spot, while five others were later found dead along their withdrawal route.
While troops were subsequently moving to secure the Local Government Secretariat after receiving information of an impending attack, some women briefly blocked the road, but no shots were fired at them and passage was peacefully created.
Later, community members brought two deceased women to the troops’ location and claimed they had been shot by soldiers. The Brigade maintains that these fatalities resulted from stray bullets fired recklessly by untrained local militias wielding automatic weapons during the chaos.
The Brigade extends sincere condolences to the bereaved families, urges both communities to embrace dialogue, and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to restoring and maintaining peace in the area while urging the public to disregard the false narrative.
