Adamawa Group Insists Soldiers Killed Women Protesters, Demands Justice

The Pene Da Bwatiye Development Association (PDBDA) Worldwide, a prominent group representing the Bwatiye-speaking people of Adamawa State, has strongly insisted that soldiers were responsible for the deaths of women of the ethnic group who were holding a protest in Lamurde on Sunday, December 7.

Dependable NG reports that the group’s assertion contradicts the Nigerian Army’s official denial regarding the fatal incident.

In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the General Secretary of the association, Mr. Emmannuel Pwakavi Bapatu, maintained that the Nigerian Army troops indeed shot at the protesting women. “The blood of our innocent people – our mothers, daughters, sisters – has been spilled, and we will not be silenced,” the statement read.

While initial reports on Monday, December 8, alleged that seven women died after soldiers from the 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army shot at them for protesting the late arrival of security forces during a bandit attack on Bwatiye communities, the PDBDA escalated the casualty figure.

The association insisted that a total of 12 unarmed women had died, stating: “Twelve unarmed women who had gathered in peaceful protest against the late arrival of the military, carrying only leaves and singing songs of peace, were slaughtered by the members of the Nigerian Army deployed to assure peace.”

The PDBDA issued an immediate demand for justice, calling for the identification, suspension, and public prosecution “of every soldier involved in this heinous act.” Additionally, the association demanded formal apologies and immediate comprehensive reparations from the Nigerian Army and the Federal Government to the families of “the twelve murdered women.”