No fewer than 200 terrorists have been killed following violent clashes between Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) around the Lake Chad region, according to intelligence and militia sources.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama reported that the intense battles took place between November 5 and 8, 2025, across several key islands including Sahel 1, Dogon Chuku, Mangari, and the riverine zones of Tumbun Gini, Tumbun Dalo, Tumbun Shanu, and Dumba.
Boko Haram fighters, led by commanders Hassan Buduma and Mohd Hassan, reportedly launched coordinated attacks on ISWAP positions using heavily armed motorized boats. The offensive, described as an “amphibious insurgent-style assault,” forced ISWAP fighters to abandon several bases and retreat to hideouts around Ali Jillimari, Metele, Kangarwa, and Gudumbali
Intelligence reports revealed that numerous casualties were recorded, with surveillance spotting several bodies floating in the water and others hastily buried in shallow graves.
Makama noted that Boko Haram’s objective was to dislodge ISWAP from the Lake Chad islands and seize control of key supply and smuggling routes linking Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. These routes are said to generate millions of naira through the extortion of fishermen, traders, and transport operators.
The two extremist factions split in 2016 due to ideological differences, with ISWAP maintaining dominance in the region since the death of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau in 2021.
However, declining water levels in the Lake Chad Basin have reopened land routes and exposed old settlements, triggering renewed clashes for territorial control.
Security experts warned that the recent confrontations indicate a shift toward a more organized territorial war, with possible escalation in ambushes, roadside bombings, and attacks along transport corridors connecting Metele, Kangarwa, and the Maiduguri–Damasak highway.
Communities in Kukawa and Abadam local government areas, especially fishermen, traders, and farmers, are expected to bear the brunt of the renewed hostilities as both groups continue retaliatory raids that threaten local livelihoods.
Analysts describe the Lake Chad Basin as a challenging terrain for conventional military operations, now serving as the epicenter of a fierce power struggle between the rival insurgent factions—leaving civilians trapped amid worsening humanitarian conditions.
