At least seven people have reportedly been killed after soldiers escorting the Brigade Commander of the 23 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Yola — Amechi Agwu — opened fire on protesters in Lamurde.
The shooting occurred on Monday afternoon at Rigange Junction, where a group of women had gathered to demonstrate. The protest followed earlier attacks by suspected Chobo-speaking militia who allegedly carried out coordinated assaults on several communities in Lamurde Local Government Area.
SaharaReporters gathered that the unrest intensified when the soldiers arrived at the protest scene. A community leader told the outlet that twelve women were shot, with seven dying on the spot.
“Five others are currently receiving treatment at Numan General Hospital,” he said, emotionally describing the panic that erupted after the gunfire. According to him, the women were protesting what they saw as the unacceptable and delayed response of security operatives, who reportedly arrived long after the attackers had fled.
“They were grieving and demanding answers,” another resident explained. “Instead of reassurance or protection, they were met with bullets.”
Attempts by SaharaReporters to get comments from the Army spokesperson, Lt. Col. Apollonia Anele, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not returned.
As at the time this report was compiled, the Nigerian Army had not issued any official statement regarding the incident.
Incidents of extrajudicial killings during protests have been recorded in Nigeria over the years, often involving security personnel using live ammunition to disperse demonstrators.
