The 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army has dismissed a report published by some online platforms on Monday, 8 December 2025, describing it as false and baseless.
The Brigade says the allegations made against it and its Commander are completely untrue and meant to tarnish their image and that of the Nigerian Army.
The Brigade explained that its Commander was not anywhere near the scene of the communal clash at the time of the alleged shooting.
He was participating virtually in the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational briefing when the incident was said to have occurred.
According to the 23 Brigade, troops from the Brigade Garrison, the Police, NSCDC and DSS received information at about 1:35 a.m. on Monday, 8 December 2025, about a clash between the Bachama and Chobo communities in Lamurde LGA, Adamawa State.
The violence was linked to a long-standing land dispute and ethnic tensions between the two groups.
Troops quickly moved to restore peace in the affected areas Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku and Lamurde. While carrying out their operations, armed militia believed to be fighting for the Chobo community attacked the troops.
The soldiers responded professionally and engaged the attackers. Three gunmen were neutralized during the exchange, while others fled.
Later, along the militia’s escape route, troops found five more dead armed men and a motorcycle. The Brigade also received a distress call that another group was planning an attack on the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat.
As troops moved to secure the Secretariat, some women blocked the road, and armed men suspected to be from the Bachama side began shooting indiscriminately.
The soldiers managed to create a path through the crowd and moved on to secure the Secretariat. The Brigade stressed that no woman was shot or harmed during this process, otherwise the troops would not have been able to pass through.
While securing the Local Government Lodge, two bodies of women were brought in by community members, who claimed they were killed by soldiers.
The Brigade strongly denied this, explaining that the deaths were caused by local militias who mishandled automatic weapons, as they lack proper training.
The 23 Brigade expressed sympathy to the families of the deceased women and urged all communities involved to embrace peace to prevent further loss of lives and property.
The Brigade reaffirmed its commitment to carrying out its constitutional duty of supporting civil authorities, ensuring peace and stability in its area of responsibility. The public is urged to disregard the misleading report.
