Soldiers reportedly kill 7 protesting women in Adamawa
At least seven women have been killed in a tragic shooting involving soldiers escorting the Brigade Commander of the 23 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Amechi Agwu, in Adamawa State.
The incident took place on Monday afternoon at Rigange junction in Lamurde, after troops reportedly opened fire on a group of protesters.
Tension in the area was already high following a violent assault earlier in the day by suspected Chobo-speaking militia, who launched coordinated attacks on several communities in Lamurde Local Government Area.
A respected community leader, speaking with difficulty as he held back tears, told SaharaReporters that 12 women were shot, with seven dying on the spot.
“Five others are battling for their lives at Numan General Hospital,” he said, describing the chaos that followed the shooting.
Multiple local sources said the women had gathered to protest what they called the unacceptable delay in the arrival of security forces.
According to them, troops only reached the attacked communities hours after the assailants had completed their rampage and withdrawn without resistance.
“The women were angry, frustrated, and tired of burying their own,” another source said. “They were demanding answers. Instead, what they got were bullets.”
News men sought comments from the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Lt. Col. Apollonia Anele.
Calls to her mobile phone went unanswered, and a text message requesting clarification on the shooting had also not received a reply at the time of filing this report.
Efforts to obtain the Army’s official position on the allegations are ongoing. As of press time, the Nigerian Army had not issued any official statement regarding the incident.
