Nigerian Army Denies Shooting 12 Women During Protest
The Nigerian Army has dismissed reports alleging that soldiers escorting the Commander of 23 Brigade, Captain Amechi Agwu, shot 12 women during a protest in Lamurde, Yola, on Monday.
Some online platforms had claimed that troops opened fire on protesters and killed at least seven women.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, Captain Olusegun Abidoye, described the publications as baseless attempts to tarnish the image of the Army.
“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, December 8, 2025.
“The said report levelled unfounded and false allegations against the Brigade and its Commander,” the statement read in part.
According to Abidoye, neither the Brigade Commander nor his escorts were present at the scene of the communal clash.
He explained that the Commander was attending the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational brief virtually at the time the alleged shooting was said to have taken place.
Abidoye noted that the violence resulted from a land dispute between the Chobo and Bachama tribes, prompting troop deployment to restore calm.
“In the course of its operations, a militia armed group suspected of fighting for one of the warring communities- Chobo attacked the troops. The troops, being a professional, adaptable and combat ready force decisively engaged the militia armed men in the fire fight.
“During the exchange of fire, troops neutralized 3 of the gunmen and forced other members of the militia group to flee the general area. The troops were able to put the clashes under control,” said Abidoye.
He also stated that the troops received a distress call that the warring community had mobilised to attack Lamurde Local Government’s Secretariat and moved to secure the secretariat, but some women denied them entrance into the secretariat.
“Without equivocation, the casualties were caused by the unprofessional handling of automatic weapons by the local militias who are not proficiently trained to handle such automatic weapons,” Abidoye added.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
