A human rights organisation, Cadrell Advocacy Centre, has taken the Federal Government of Nigeria before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice over the alleged extra-judicial killing of at least nine unarmed women by soldiers in Lamurde Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The suit, filed in Abuja, was initiated in the public interest on behalf of the victims and their families.
Led by its Executive Director, Evans Ufeli, the organisation accused Nigerian security forces of unlawfully using excessive and lethal force against women who were reportedly staging a peaceful protest. The group described the action as a gross violation of both regional and international human rights standards.
The case is connected to events that occurred on December 8, 2025, when women in Lamurde took to the streets to protest what they said was a failure by security agencies to enforce a government-imposed curfew during violent clashes between the Bachama and Chobo communities.
According to the application filed before the court, the protesters were unarmed and posed no threat when soldiers encountered them at the scene. Witness accounts claim the road had been briefly blocked when a soldier fired warning shots into the air, prompting other soldiers to open fire directly at the women.
At least nine women were reportedly killed on the spot, while several others sustained gunshot injuries. National media outlets reported widely on the incident, and Amnesty International Nigeria also confirmed, through eyewitnesses and families of victims, that soldiers carried out the shooting.
Cadrell Advocacy Centre told the court that despite the severity of the incident, the Nigerian Army denied involvement and instead blamed a local militia. The organisation noted that, months later, no transparent or independent investigation has been carried out, no arrests have been made, and no soldier has been disciplined or prosecuted. It added that no compensation has been provided to families of the victims.
The group further argued that the ECOWAS Court has jurisdiction to entertain the case, stating that Nigeria is bound by the ECOWAS Treaty, the court’s protocols, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. It maintained that applicants are not required to exhaust domestic legal options before seeking redress at the regional court.
Cadrell is asking the court to declare the Federal Government liable for the actions of the Nigerian Army, order an impartial investigation into the killings, and mandate prosecution of those responsible. The group is also seeking compensation for the injured and the families of those killed, along with N10 billion in general damages.
The organisation additionally urged the court to compel reforms regulating the military’s handling of civilian protests, warning that continued lack of accountability could deepen distrust in security institutions and weaken public confidence in the rule of law.
Rights Group Drags FG to ECOWAS Court Over Alleged Killing of Women Protesters in Adamawa
