On Monday, Amnesty International (AI) accused the Nigerian military of firing on protesters, resulting in the deaths of nine women. The military, however, refuted these claims, attributing the blame to “local militia” for the fatalities.
AI and various witnesses reported that these women were demonstrating against the military’s ineffective response to ongoing inter-tribal conflicts in the northeastern state of Adamawa, according to the Associated Press.
Reports indicate increasing tensions between two local communities in Adamawa’s Lamurde Local Government Area, namely the Bachama and Chobo tribes. This area is a division, one of 21 in the state, focused around a town named Lamourede.
Recently, heavily armed individuals attacked multiple villages in the LGA, prompting the Adamawa State government to impose a curfew. The Bachama community insists they were the victims, blaming the Chobo for the violence. These two groups have been clashing for several months now.
Witnesses from the recent attack noted that the assailants were equipped with military-grade weapons. In response to the violence, local law enforcement dispatched extra officers to uphold the curfew and maintain order. Meanwhile, the Bachama community called for a military intervention to disarm the aggressors.
At the protest, the women expressed their grievances, feeling that the military had either neglected their duties or possibly displayed bias favoring the Chobo, even to the extent of allegedly providing them with arms.
Protesters attempted to block roads in Lamurde, but when they were unable to break the barrier, a group of soldiers reportedly opened fire with live rounds.
Lisa Sanusi, the Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, remarked, “This indicates that little has changed for the Nigerian military, given its history of human rights violations and disregard for the law.”
AI claims that witness accounts and testimonies from victims’ families affirm the allegation that soldiers fired at the demonstrators. The Associated Press noted it could not independently verify AI’s statements.
There are also reports suggesting that Nigerian soldiers discharged their weapons during the event.
Chief Agoso Bamaiyi, leader of the Gyawana community in the LGA, stated, “They came out peacefully, carrying leaves and seeking safety, but instead they were met with live fire.”
He further mentioned, “Injured individuals were rushed to Numan General Hospital, yet medical staff indicated that some remain in critical condition.”
Local police confirmed that there were casualties in the incident but were hesitant to specify any numbers or identify the shooter as a Nigerian soldier.
The Nigerian military issued a statement on Tuesday dismissing the accusations against them as “baseless.”
Military spokesperson Olusegun Abidoye asserted that soldiers had been attacked by local militia and acted in self-defense by neutralizing eight of the attackers. He claimed that the protesters had instead been struck by militia gunfire.
Abidoye attributed the clash to a long-standing land dispute and ethnic tensions between the Tchobo and Bachama groups. He stated that the military quickly deployed forces to the affected areas to restore order.
He added, “Clearly, the casualties resulted from untrained local militias improperly handling automatic weapons.”
