In an appeal to the Federal Government, Bachama leaders said the protracted communal conflict has gone beyond ethnic rivalry and now bears the markings of a calculated campaign driven by economic interests and elite protection.
A Bachama militia group in Adamawa State has accused the Nigerian military and powerful political elites of colluding with an armed Tchobo militia to violently displace them from their ancestral land, allegedly to pave the way for the exploitation of valuable mineral deposits in the area.
In an appeal to the Federal Government, Bachama leaders said the protracted communal conflict has gone beyond ethnic rivalry and now bears the markings of a calculated campaign driven by economic interests and elite protection.
According to the group, the crisis escalated on July 7, 2025, when armed Tchobo militia allegedly attacked Bachama villages, killing residents without provocation. They insisted that the Bachama people did not retaliate, stressing that they have historically remained on the defensive.
Following the attack, security forces were deployed to the area, a move the community initially welcomed. However, they said the deployment soon turned into what they described as “occupation in favour of our aggressors.”
In a viral video, the Bachama militia group alleged that the Tchobo militia struck again on December 8, 2025.
According to the group, while Bachama youths attempted to defend their communities, the military allegedly intervened in a manner that resulted in the killing of unarmed Bachama women who had gathered to pray for the safe return of their men.
The group said no credible investigation has been concluded one month after the incident.
The Bachama group further alleged selective justice, claiming that two Bachama youths were arrested in their bedrooms while asleep, framed as terrorists and accused of possessing firearms. They are currently remanded in prison awaiting trial.
The spokesperson for the Adamawa State Police Command, SP Suleiman Nguroje, has confirmed that two men have been charged in court in connection with the communal conflict.
In contrast, they said a Tchobo youth leader who publicly issued threats and allegedly called for the deposition of the Hama Bachama, the paramount ruler of the Bachama people, remains untouched and walks freely.
“This is not accidental,” a leader of the Bachama group said. “The troops deployed here are compromised. They have taken sides and are protecting a tribal militia because powerful political actors want access to the mineral resources on our land.”
He questioned why soldiers, rather than mobile police units typically used in communal crises, were deployed to the area, alleging that the military presence has emboldened armed militia members who now move freely with weapons, unchallenged by security operatives.
According to the Bachama group, the situation has effectively trapped residents in their homes, cutting them off from their farmlands and livelihoods, while armed militia allegedly roam freely under military watch.
The group said the goal appears to be to weaken and intimidate the Bachama people into abandoning their lands, believed to be rich in untapped mineral deposits.
“We are urging the Federal Government to withdraw these troops and stop this injustice,” the statement said, adding that peace cannot be achieved where security forces are perceived as partners in exploitation.
The group also called on the Adamawa State Government to immediately release their kinsmen arrested within 48 hours, warning that continued detention amid deepening grievances could further inflame tensions.
SaharaReporters has, in several past reports, documented the recurring Bachama–Tchobo conflict, including allegations of militia violence, displacement of villagers, and claims of security force bias, with observers repeatedly warning that elite interference and competition over land and resources risk turning the conflict into a full-blown humanitarian crisis.
https://x.com/i/status/