Headquarters 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army has dismissed as entirely false a report by Sahara Reporters and other online platforms alleging that escorts attached to the Brigade Commander opened fire on women protesters amid a communal clash in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

In a statement issued Tuesday day, 9 December 2025, the Brigade described the publication as “baseless, unfounded, and aimed at tarnishing the image of the Brigade, its Commander, and the Nigerian Army.”

The military formation clarified that the Brigade Commander was not at the scene of the incident, noting that he was attending the Chief of Army Staff’s weekly operational briefing virtually when the alleged shooting reportedly occurred.

According to the statement, combined troops of 23 Brigade Garrison, the Nigeria Police Force, NSCDC, and DSS received information at about 1:35 a.m. on Monday about renewed clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities over longstanding land disputes and ethnic tensions. Troops were immediately deployed to restore calm in affected areas including Tingno, Rigange, Tito, Waduku, and Lamurde.

While responding to the crisis, the troops reportedly came under attack from an armed militia believed to be aligned with one of the warring groups. The soldiers engaged the attackers, neutralizing three of them and forcing others to flee. Subsequent clearance operations along the militia’s escape route led to the discovery of five additional slain armed men and a motorcycle.

The Brigade noted that during efforts to prevent an attack on the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat, troops encountered a blockade by women in the community while armed elements from the opposing group fired indiscriminately. The troops created a safe passage and proceeded to secure the Secretariat, stressing that no woman was shot or injured during the operation.

The statement added that two corpses of women were later brought to the Local Government Lodge by members of the community, who alleged they were killed by soldiers. The Brigade emphasized that the deaths were caused by the “unprofessional handling of automatic weapons by local militias,” not by military personnel.

Expressing sympathy to the families of the deceased, the Brigade urged both communities to embrace peace to prevent further bloodshed and destruction.

The statement reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s commitment to its constitutional mandate and assured residents that troops would continue to conduct their operations with professionalism and due diligence.

Headquarters 23 Brigade called on the public to disregard the “malicious and misleading” report.