The Gongola Peoples’ Forum (GPF) has condemned what it described as the “cold-blooded killing” of eight women by soldiers during a protest in Larmurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The women, reportedly numbering in their hundreds, had blocked the road using tree leaves in a peaceful demonstration against renewed violence in the area and what they called the “late and useless arrival” of military operatives after communities had already been attacked.
Instead of mediation, the GPF said, the soldiers opened fire and killed eight of the female demonstrators on the spot.
“This unprofessional act is sickening and disgraceful,” the forum said in a statement signed by its National Chairman, Markus Gundiri.
“We demand that both the federal and state governments investigate this incident and prosecute the personnel responsible for this barbaric conduct.”
The organisation accused the military of a pattern of hostility toward communities in the Numan Federation, recalling a 2019 episode in which the Nigerian Air Force allegedly bombed six villages in Dong, amid gunmen attacks believed to have been carried out by Fulani militants.
“We see this repeated incident as suspicious. It does not speak well of the intentions or attitude of the armed forces toward our people,” the statement read.
The GPF also expressed anger at renewed hostilities between the Tsobo and Bachama communities, accusing them of violating peace agreements previously brokered by the forum.
“The door is still open for reconciliation, but we frown deeply at this return to bloodshed,” Gundiri added.
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The forum commended Governor Ahmadu Fintiri for swiftly imposing a curfew in the affected area to contain further violence and avert another military–civilian clash.
“No matter how events like this attempt to stain your administration, we in the GPF recognise you as a leader who has consistently worked for peace,” the statement said.
Rights groups and community leaders are expected to weigh in as outrage spreads in the region, with calls intensifying for accountability, demilitarisation of civilian protests, and an independent inquiry into the killings.
GPF vowed to continue engaging all warring sides, insisting it “will not give up” on ensuring safety and unity for residents.
“God bless our state,” the chair concluded, signing off on what many now see as a renewed clash between citizens’ right to protest and Nigeria’s increasingly militarised internal security response.
