Nine women who were allegedly shot dead by military personnel during a protest in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Monday have been laid to rest in a mass burial as their identities were publicly released and demands for a full investigation intensified.
The burial ceremony, held Tuesday at the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat grounds, drew thousands of mourners from Lamurde and neighbouring communities. The tragic victims were named as: Florence Frank, Suzy Tanko, Marry Talmon, Mercy Kennedy, Lucky Yakubu, Pwamwasari Tami, Mary Shikauno, Destiny Gibson, and Hunbokwama Nickson.
Wrapped in white cloths and grass-mats and laid side-by-side, the bodies formed a “haunting tableau,” community leaders and youths described a vivid reminder of what many are calling “an avoidable and unjustified military assault.” The youth wing of the Bachama community accused the army of opening fire on unarmed women protesters, calling for immediate accountability and a transparent probe.
At the same time, factions among local youths disputed who fired first. While the Bachama youth maintain the soldiers are responsible, the youth forum aligned with the Chobo community denied militancy on their side insisting their people were the victims of earlier attacks and rejecting accusations that their militia opened fire.
The incident follows a protest triggered by widespread frustration over repeated militia attacks, communal violence, and alleged inaction by security forces to protect communities. The women had gathered to voice their grievances but were met with live ammunition, according to rights groups such as Amnesty International, which condemned the use of excessive force and called for independent investigations into the killings.
The response from the Nigerian Army particularly the 23-Brigade, which deployed troops to Lamurde has been one of outright denial. The military insists it did not shoot protesters, claiming that scattered gunfire from local militias caused the fatalities. They argue that soldiers only engaged armed men in a firefight, and that any deaths were due to misfire by untrained militia members.
At the mass burial, community leaders described the gathering not only as a funeral but also a public indictment of state security agencies. They demand justice, transparency, and that perpetrators — whether soldiers or militia be held accountable to prevent recurrence.
As families mourn, a deeper crisis looms: continuing trust deficit between communities and security forces, rising insecurity, and a fragile peace threatened by ethnic tensions. The Lamurde tragedy may be another grim chapter in Nigeria’s protracted struggle with communal violence and impunity.