In a scene steeped in grief, outrage and unresolved questions, nine women killed in Monday’s alleged army personnel shooting in Adamawa State were on Tuesday laid to rest in a mass burial that drew thousands of mourners from Lamurde and neighbouring communities.
The solemn event, held within the grounds of the Lamurde Local Government Secretariat, served both as a farewell ceremony and a community indictment.
Leaders used the occasion to unveil the identities of the deceased — women whose deaths have now ignited fresh demands for justice.
The victims are; Florence Frank, Suzy Tanko, Marry Talmon, Mercy Kennedy, Lucky Yakubu, Pwamwasari Tami, Mary Shikauno, Destiny Gibson, and Hunbokwama Nickson.
Wrapped in white/grass-mat and laid side-by-side, the victims’ bodies formed a haunting tableau that deepened the community’s anger over what many describe as “an avoidable and unjustified military assault.”
“The Army opened fire on innocent women” — Bachama youth wing alleges.
At the burial, the Bwate Youth Wing, representing several dialect groups of the Bachama-speaking communities, issued a stinging condemnation of the Nigerian Army.
Its Secretary-General, Abner Kwakano, insisted the military was directly responsible.
“We maintain without hesitation that the army opened fire on innocent women, resulting in deaths and injuries. This is the truth as witnessed directly by the community.”
Kwakano demanded a transparent, independent investigation, insisting that anything short of accountability would be an insult to the victims’ memories.
Chobo youth forum counters blame, insists “we were the victims”.
The Chobo Youth Forum pushed back against reports suggesting its tribal militia initiated the confrontation.
In a statement signed by Engr. Gideon Sam, its Secretary-General, the forum alleged the opposite — claiming Chobo communities were attacked and their villages razed by a Bachama militia.
The group described efforts to pin the first aggression on Chobo youths as “false, misleading and dangerous.”
A community in mourning, a nation demanding answers, as both sides trade accusations and tension simmers, pressure is mounting on the Nigerian Army to clarify what truly led to the deadly confrontation — and why unarmed women ended up as casualties.
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