No fewer than 20 persons are feared dead following coordinated attacks by suspected ethnic militias on Kwah and Gyakan communities in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
Lamurde LGA, regarded as one of the most volatile areas in the state, has recorded more than ten violent clashes in the past six months between rival groups, despite a dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed since December last year.
Residents said the violence began in the early hours of Saturday when armed assailants stormed Gyakan, setting homes ablaze and forcing residents to flee. The attackers reportedly moved onward to Kwah, about 20 kilometres away, where they continued their assault, looting properties and burning houses.
The casualty figure is expected to rise as more bodies continue to be recovered. A resident, Onisimus Onisimond, disclosed that additional corpses were found as of Sunday afternoon, with fears that the final toll could be significantly higher.
A former Supervisory Councillor in the area, Carlos Nicodemus, described the attack as brutal and well-coordinated. According to him, hundreds of armed men arrived on motorcycles between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., armed with rifles and machetes, and attacked defenceless residents.
“The attackers came in large numbers, shooting and burning houses. In Gyakan alone, we recovered 10 bodies, while one person was killed in Kwah. Over 400 houses have been destroyed,” he said.
He added that the delayed arrival of security personnel, reportedly more than 30 hours after the incident, hindered immediate rescue and recovery efforts. “After soldiers regained control of the area, five additional bodies were discovered, bringing the total death toll to 20,” he stated.
Nicodemus also noted that the prolonged insecurity prevented families from burying victims promptly, as fear gripped the affected communities.
The crisis, believed to be linked to long-standing land disputes spanning nearly three decades, has reportedly claimed over 3,000 lives over time and led the state government to establish a commission of inquiry.
Reacting to the latest attack, former Village Head of Gyakan, Wali Batakuma, described the incident as shocking and unusually violent.
“We were taken completely by surprise. Armed men on motorcycles, believed to be from the Chobo ethnic group, attacked in a coordinated manner, shooting, burning houses, and attacking fleeing residents with machetes,” he said.
Batakuma added that the affected communities had not provoked the attack and confirmed that more than 400 houses were destroyed, with properties looted.
He also criticised the delayed response of security agencies, noting that intervention came only after significant damage had already been done.
Efforts to obtain reactions from the opposing side of the conflict were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
What you should know
At least 20 people have been killed in coordinated attacks on Kwah and Gyakan communities in Adamawa State’s Lamurde LGA, with over 400 homes destroyed.
The violence, linked to long-standing land disputes, has intensified insecurity in the region despite an existing curfew. Residents and local leaders blamed the scale of destruction on delayed security response, as troops reportedly arrived over 30 hours after the attacks.
The crisis has persisted for decades, claiming thousands of lives and prompting government intervention efforts.
