Fresh protests erupted in Numan Local Government Area (LGA), Adamawa State, on Tuesday, demanding justice for women allegedly killed by Nigerian Army personnel during operations to restore order in the neighboring Lamurde LGA.
The unrest follows an escalation of communal clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities on Monday, which prompted the Adamawa State Government to impose a 24-hour curfew in Lamurde.
Daily Trust reported that the crisis took a deadly turn when a group of women staged a protest in Lamurde, accusing the military of a delayed and biased intervention that allegedly favoured the Chobo community.
The women, who were reportedly unarmed and holding leaves, attempted to block troop movements into the volatile area.
Sources alleged that during the confrontation, the military personnel fired into the crowd, resulting in the immediate death of four women, with three others later dying in the hospital, bringing the reported civilian death toll to seven.
Eleven other victims sustained various degrees of injury and are currently receiving treatment at Numan General Hospital, with casualty figures expected to rise.
While the protesters insisted the army was responsible, the Nigerian Army said the fatalities resulted from untrained local militias mishandling firearms.
In response, the Adamawa State Government imposed a 24-hour curfew in Lamurde, deploying security operatives to enforce compliance.
The remains of some of the women were brought to Lamurde for burial.
Protesters, including Humwapwa Nanso, Bwalason Samson and Wisdom Christopher, accused security forces of delayed response, allowing the violence to escalate.
Nanso said, “Our women were killed by uniformed personnel, leaving us with grief in our hearts. As women, we call on the government to protect our rights, because, according to the Nigerian Constitution, we all have the right to life.”
Samson added, “Those who shot this bullet I am holding stopped the car, stopped the truck, and I have never seen military personnel go down on their knees, aim at unarmed women at close range, and fire bullets so rapidly. Over 20 people were shot on the spot, and five were lying dead. No one had any weapons; we were simply holding leaves.”
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