Adamawa Crisis: Bwatiye Group Urges Tinubu to Step In as Communal Violence Claims 12 Lives

The Pene Da Bwatiye Development Association Worldwide has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene in the renewed communal violence between the Bachama and Tchobo communities in Adamawa State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the clash, which has reportedly left 12 people dead, has thrown the affected communities in Lamurde Local Government Area into fear and uncertainty.

Speaking at a press conference in Yola on Friday, the association’s president, Chief James Iliya, said the conflict, which centers on a long-standing farmland dispute between the Tchobo and Bwatiye communities of Rigangun and Waduku, first erupted in July before resurfacing again on Monday.

Iliya called for the setting up of an independent and transparent judicial panel of inquiry to thoroughly investigate the killings. He said the panel should include respected civil society leaders, human rights experts, and judicial officials, as well as representatives of the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), with its findings made public.

According to him, swift intervention by the Federal Government is critical to restoring peace and rebuilding trust among the affected communities.

“We appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Executive Governor of Adamawa State, and the Chief of Defence Staff to intervene without delay and initiate these restorative steps,” Iliya said.

“The world is watching. Our grief is deep, but our determination to pursue justice and peace remains unshaken.”

The association further demanded formal apologies and comprehensive reparations from the Nigerian Army and the Federal Government to the families of the 12 women reportedly killed during the crisis. Iliya added that support should also be extended to other victims currently receiving treatment in hospitals across the state.

Meanwhile, NAN reports that the spokesperson of the 23 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Yola, Capt. Olusegun Abidoye, has dismissed claims that the women who died during a peaceful protest in Lamurde on Monday were shot by soldiers.

The situation remains tense as calls grow for an impartial investigation and decisive action to prevent further bloodshed.