By SUNTV Global Channel | December 20, 2025
Nigeria has been dragged before the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice over the alleged killing of women protesters by soldiers in Adamawa State.
The suit was filed by Cadrell Advocacy Centre, a human rights non-governmental organisation, acting on behalf of the deceased women and their families. The legal action challenges what the group describes as a grave violation of fundamental human rights during a peaceful protest in Lamurde Local Government Area of the state.
According to court filings, the incident occurred on December 8, 2025, when women took to the streets to protest the enforcement of a government-imposed curfew following violent clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities. The women reportedly blocked a major road as part of the peaceful demonstration.
Cadrell Advocacy Centre alleged that soldiers of the Nigerian Army responded with lethal force. The application states that after protesters temporarily blocked the road, one soldier fired shots into the air, after which other soldiers allegedly opened live fire on the unarmed women.
The suit claims that at least nine women were killed on the spot, while several others sustained serious gunshot injuries.
Amnesty International Nigeria has also confirmed and condemned the incident, citing eyewitness accounts and testimonies from victims’ families. The rights group stated that available evidence points to soldiers of the Nigerian Army as those responsible for the killings.
However, the Nigerian Army has denied involvement, attributing the deaths to the actions of a local militia operating in the area.
Despite the gravity of the allegations, the applicants noted that no soldier has been arrested, prosecuted, or disciplined, and that no compensation has been paid to the families of the deceased victims.
In its prayers before the ECOWAS Court, Cadrell Advocacy Centre is asking the court to declare that the killings constitute violations of Articles 1, 3, 4, 5, 9, and 26 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and to hold Nigeria liable for the actions of its military.
The organisation is also seeking an order compelling the Nigerian government to conduct an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation, prosecute those responsible, and award adequate compensation to injured victims. Additionally, the applicants are demanding N10 billion in general damages for the unlawful violation of the victims’ right to life.
The suit was filed by legal counsels Evans Ufedi and Emmanuel Olalekan, and is to be served on the Nigerian Army, the Attorney-General of the Federation, and the Federal Ministry of Defence.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor developments in this case as it unfolds at the regional court.
