Fresh clashes between rival jihadist factions in the Lake Chad basin have left more than 200 fighters dead in one of the deadliest confrontations between Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in recent years.
Intelligence officials, militia leaders and jihadist sources confirmed the figures to AFP on Monday, describing the fighting as a brutal struggle for territorial dominance along the fringes of Lake Chad.
The deadly confrontation reportedly erupted on Sunday in Dogon Chiku, a strategic settlement on the lake’s shores.
Babakura Kolo, a member of a local anti-jihadist militia working alongside security forces, said ISWAP suffered heavy casualties.
“From the toll we got, around 200 ISWAP terrorists were killed in the fight,” he told AFP.
A former Boko Haram member who now monitors extremist activity in Borno State corroborated the claim, saying several weapons were seized during the clashes.
“Boko Haram lost four fighters in the battle,” added the former militant, who identified himself only as Saddiku. “This could be the worst clash between the two groups since they began attacking each other.”
Intelligence Officials Confirm Heavy Casualties
A Nigerian intelligence officer monitoring activities around the Lake Chad region said the death toll was also significant from their assessment.
“We are aware of the fighting, which is good news to us,” the source said. He estimated that the confrontation “killed more than 150”.
The renewed infighting reflects a deepening ideological divide between the two factions, which formally split in 2016 and have since engaged in intermittent but deadly battles for control of camps, territory, and supply routes.
The Lake Chad basin remains a volatile hotspot where both groups operate from remote islands and difficult terrain, frustrating military efforts to dislodge them completely.
Since their breakaway, Boko Haram and ISWAP have fought for dominance, each seeking to consolidate tax networks, recruitment pipelines and smuggling corridors across the border regions of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]