Over 20 Killed, 400 Homes Burnt in Adamawa Communal Attacks

At least 20 people were killed and more than 400 houses razed after suspected ethnic militias launched coordinated attacks on Kwah and Gyakan communities in Lamurde Local Government Area, Adamawa State.

The assault began early Saturday when assailants stormed Gyakan, burning homes and displacing residents. The attackers then moved about 20 kilometres to Kwah, where they continued looting and setting houses ablaze.

Residents say the death toll may rise as more bodies are recovered. Onisimus Onisimond, a local resident, said four additional bodies were found by 2:00 p.m. Sunday, with more expected.

Carlos Nicodemus, a former Supervisory Councillor in Lamurde LGA, described the attack as brutal. He said hundreds of armed attackers rode into Gyakan on motorcycles between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Saturday, wielding AK-47 rifles and machetes

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,” Nicodemus said.

He added that security forces arrived more than 30 hours after the attack began. After soldiers regained control, five more bodies were discovered, bringing the confirmed toll to 20. Families were unable to bury victims immediately due to ongoing insecurity.

Wali Batakuma, former Village Head of Gyakan, said the communities were taken 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 noted that the affected communities had done nothing to provoke the attack and criticized the delayed response of security agencies.

Lamurde LGA has seen more than ten violent clashes in the last six months. A dusk-to-dawn curfew imposed since December 2025 remains in force due to persistent attacks that have reportedly claimed hundreds of lives.

The crisis is linked to land disputes spanning nearly three decades, which have claimed over 3,000 lives. The Adamawa State Government has set up a commission of inquiry into the conflict.