7 women protesters killed in Adamawa

Seven women died while 11 others were injured yesterday during a protest in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

Daily Trust gathered that the women were protesting what they termed delayed response by the military to calm tensions between Bachama and Chobo communities of the LGA, when the incident occurred.

The women, who were seen holding leaves blocked the movement of troops into the area, accusing security agencies of delayed responses and biased interventions in favour of the Chobo community.

However, during the confrontation, sources said the military allegedly fired shots into the crowd and four of the women died on the spot, while three others died in the hospital. It was further learnt that 11 others, who were injured are currently receiving treatment.

“They came out peacefully, carrying leaves, begging for security, instead, they were met with live gunfire.

The wounded were rushed to Numan General Hospital, where medical officials say some remain in critical condition,” District Head of Gyawana, a community in Lamurde LGA, Chief Agoso Bamaiyi, said.

Fintiri imposes 24-hour curfew

Meanwhile, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Lamurde Local Government Area, following the incident.

The directive was announced on Monday in a statement issued by the Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor, Hussaini Hammangabdo, who confirmed that the governor has instructed security operatives to immediately move into the troubled communities.

The statement said Fintiri had ordered security agencies to respond swiftly to the renewed crisis to re-establish stability and prevent further breakdown of law and order.

The statement reads, “The Adamawa State Government has imposed a 24-hour curfew on Lamurde Local Government Area with immediate effect following a renewed communal clash that broke out on Sunday evening.”

Hammangabdo said security agencies have been directed to move into the area and restore peace and order without delay.

The state government also appealed to residents of Lamurde to remain peaceful and cooperate with the deployed personnel as efforts intensify to contain the situation and avert additional violence.

The fresh violence erupted barely days after Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri brokered a fragile peace deal between the warring Chobo and Bachama groups, according to Dr. Jamila Suleiman, Executive Vice Chairperson of the Adamawa State Peace Commission.

Police deploy tactical units

When contacted on phone, the police spokesman, Adamawa State Command, S.P. Suleiman Nguroje, confirmed that some people lost their lives and that the injured were taken to a hospital for treatment.

“Actually lives were lost. But for now, we cannot give the total number of people that lost their lives but the injured have been taken to a hospital for treatment,” he said.

Nguroje said that based on the reports he received in the morning, the incident centered within Rugange and neighbouring villages, down to Wadugo.

Asked on the cause of the incident, the spokesman said police had been drafted to the area to investigate the root cause, so he will not pre-empt their finding.

“I plead that we should give them the opportunity to come out with their findings on what must have triggered the conflict so as to make it known to the members of the public,” he added.

Earlier, the state command said more police officers had been deployed to the flashpoints to restore law and order.

The command’s spokesperson, Nguroje, in a statement posted on his Facebook page, urged residents to comply strictly with the curfew order.

“Following a renewed communal clash in Lamurde LGA and the declaration of a 24-hour curfew by the state government, the command advises the public—especially those within Lamurde—to stay indoors to prevent further breakdown of law and order,” he said.

He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Dankombo Morris, has deployed additional tactical units to enforce the curfew and maintain stability in the troubled area.

“The command, in collaboration with sister security agencies, will not allow miscreants and misguided elements to operate unchallenged,” Nguroje warned, assuring that officers would act within the law while avoiding unnecessary loss of life,” he said.

When contacted last night, the Director, Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, promised to revert after getting clearance to speak on the matter. Onoja, a Major-General, was yet to do so as at press time.

Renewed violence

The latest incident has deepened anxiety across the Numan Federation, where unresolved land disputes, mistrust and repeated security failures have made peace highly unstable.

Violence first broke out in the Bachama communities of Rigangun and Waduku in Lamurde Local Government Area, following a dispute over farmland. Between July 7 and 11, 2025, armed members of the Chobo community allegedly attacked the settlements, looting homes and setting buildings ablaze, forcing residents to flee.

In response, the Adamawa State government imposed a 24-hour curfew across the local government area and deployed police officers and soldiers. However, the security measures failed to prevent a renewed outbreak.

According to the District Head of Gyawana, Chief Agoso Huladeino Bamaiyi, the latest escalation followed allegations that members of the Bachama community had stolen a motorcycle.

“The Chobo community accused the Bachama of stealing a motorcycle and demanded that it be produced within one hour. That threat heightened tension and violence resumed,” he said.

This year alone, Lamurde has witnessed three major rounds of violence. A few weeks ago, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri convened leaders of both communities and secured commitments to a peace pact aimed at ending the cycle of reprisals.

History of Chobo – Bachama

For decades, the Chobo and Bachama communities in Adamawa State lived as neighbours with shared farmlands, markets and seasonal farming arrangements. Land use followed traditional boundaries and local mediation, led by elders and district heads, usually settled disputes before they escalated. However, that pattern has changed in the past one year.

Within this period, at least three violent clashes have been recorded between the two communities. Most of the incidents trace back to disagreements over farmland ownership, access to fertile riverbanks and boundary demarcations, especially during planting and harvest seasons.

As tension grew, confidence in local dispute resolution declined. Daily Trust gathered that some settlements in Lamurde and Guyuk Local Government Areas began organising self-defence groups to protect their kinsmen and farmlands. These groups, often described locally as militias, emerged out of fear of attacks but have ended up deepening suspicion and hostility.

The growing presence of armed youths on both sides has raised the risk of reprisal attacks, turning what were once manageable land disputes into recurring security flashpoints. Local leaders and residents say the shift from dialogue to self-help has made the conflict harder to contain and more deadly than in the past.

By Ahmed Abdullahi, Idowu Isamotu (Abuja) & Hamisu Matazu (Maiduguri)

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