Boko Haram

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigerian government has reportedly maintained a secret three-month ceasefire with Boko Haram after negotiations that led to the release of 360 civilians abducted in northeastern Nigeria.

According to an investigation by The New Humanitarian, the reported truce began in June after talks connected to the release of villagers abducted from Ngoshe, a community located near the Mandara Mountains along Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.

Three individuals with contacts within Boko Haram, including some who have links to senior members of the group, reportedly confirmed separately that the ceasefire has been in place since June. The sources also said the agreement could be extended for another 40 days.

Two of the sources told The New Humanitarian that Boko Haram attacks had stopped in communities around Ngoshe, which have faced repeated assaults by the armed group.

Release Of 360 Villagers Preceded Truce

The 360 villagers were reportedly abducted in March during an attack by Boko Haram on an army base near Ngoshe.

The negotiations that resulted in their release allegedly involved a payment of five billion naira ($3.7m) by the Nigerian government.

The reported payment has generated controversy, with the Nigerian government denying that it paid a ransom for the release of the abducted villagers.

The New Humanitarian said it approached government, defence and army spokespersons for confirmation of the reported ceasefire but did not receive a response before the publication of its investigation.

The reported agreement is said to involve Boko Haram alone and does not cover the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a rival armed group that operates across northeastern Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region.

Fighting between Boko Haram and ISWAP has reportedly continued.

Truce Contrasts With Government Position

The reported ceasefire comes despite the Nigerian government’s public position against negotiating with Boko Haram, which Nigerian authorities have designated as a “terrorist organisation”.

President Bola Tinubu has instead prioritised strengthening the country’s military capacity to combat armed groups. In July, he announced plans to recruit 30,000 additional personnel and establish four new army divisions.

However, The New Humanitarian reported that there have been several attempts behind the scenes to open dialogue with Boko Haram. The publication cited security officials, diplomats and mediators familiar with previous efforts.

Some of those attempts reportedly produced ceasefire arrangements that later collapsed.

Conflict researcher Malik Samuel cautioned against viewing the latest reported truce as evidence of a permanent peace process.

“It could be just a temporary, tactical ceasefire that benefits both sides, but doesn’t really affect the trajectory of the war,” Samuel said.

The reported pause could also provide Boko Haram with an opportunity to improve its position. Two sources reportedly warned that the group could use the period to move equipment into the Mandara Mountains.

Boko Haram has waged an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria and carried out attacks and kidnappings in neighbouring countries across the Lake Chad region since 2009. The group has since split into several factions, with ISWAP emerging as a separate and rival armed group.

The Daily Reality could not independently verify the reported ceasefire or the alleged five-billion-naira payment.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Troops have arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of serving as an informant and collaborator for terrorists in Ngamdu, Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State.

The operation involved troops from the 154 Task Force Battalion, with support from Forest Guards and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

Security sources said the suspect, identified as Bacha Modu Isah, was taken into custody at about 10:10pm on September 2, 2026, after security personnel received credible intelligence.

Some items were also recovered from him during the operation.

“Preliminary interrogation revealed that the suspect is a native of Gowo Village in Kaga LGA,” the source shared.

“During the operation, troops recovered a charm, lighter, ring and a leather item from the suspect,” it added.

The suspect remains in military custody as investigators continue efforts to establish his alleged links and activities.

The arrest forms part of security operations aimed at identifying and disrupting terrorist informants, collaborators and support networks within communities across the state.

Security agencies have continued to target individuals suspected of providing information or other forms of support to terrorist groups as part of efforts to strengthen security in affected areas of Borno State.

By Muhammad Abubakar 

The reported emergence of Ibn Mohammed bin Shakau, the biological son of late Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, within the ranks of the insurgent group has raised fresh concerns about the possible continuation of his father’s ideological and militant networks.

Security and conflict analyst Zagazola Makama reported that Ibn Mohammed has reportedly begun taking steps into the Boko Haram insurgency, potentially following the path of his father, one of the most notorious figures associated with the group’s violent campaign in Nigeria’s North-East.

The report, however, does not independently establish the extent of Ibn Mohammed’s involvement or his current position within the insurgent organisation.

Abubakar Shekau became the leader of Boko Haram following the death of the group’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009. Under his leadership, the insurgency intensified, with Boko Haram carrying out attacks against communities, security forces, government institutions and civilian targets across north-eastern Nigeria and parts of the wider Lake Chad region.

Shekau became particularly known for his uncompromising leadership style and frequent propaganda videos in which he issued threats, claimed responsibility for attacks and denounced governments and security forces.

His leadership was also marked by growing internal divisions within the insurgency. In 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, leading to the emergence of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as a major rival faction.

Shekau was killed in 2021 after a confrontation with ISWAP fighters in the Lake Chad region. His death significantly altered the balance of power among insurgent factions and further fragmented the militant landscape.

The reported involvement of his son could therefore carry symbolic significance for Boko Haram remnants and raises questions about whether family ties and the legacy of former commanders could contribute to the recruitment and mobilisation of a new generation of insurgents.

However, the significance of the development remains unclear, and further independent confirmation would be required to establish Ibn Mohammed’s role, influence and operational involvement within the group.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Nigerian Army has declared 38 senior commanders of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) wanted as part of efforts to intensify operations against the terrorist group in the North-East.

The declaration followed intelligence gathered during recent military operations in the Lake Chad region of Borno State. According to the Headquarters of Operation HADIN KAI, troops recovered a camcorder and other intelligence materials during the offensive.

The military said forensic examination of the recovered devices helped security operatives identify several key ISWAP leaders and trace their locations within the Mangari–Metele–Dogon Chukun axis in Abadam and Kukawa Local Government Areas of Borno State.

Among those on the wanted list is Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa, who the army identified as the Wali (governor) of ISWAP and one of the group’s most wanted leaders in the Lake Chad Basin.

The list also includes Muhammad Jidda, also known as “The One-Handed Man,” who was identified as the group’s deputy leader and Amirul Jaish. Another suspect is Hamad Abu Hanifa, whom the military identified as ISWAP’s Amirul-Fiya.

Operation HADIN KAI announced that a financial reward would be offered to anyone who provides credible information that leads to the arrest of Abu Musa Al-Mangawi Baa Shuwa.

The military assured members of the public that all information received would be handled with strict confidentiality. It also said the identities of informants would be protected.

The army appealed to residents to support ongoing counter-insurgency operations by supplying timely and credible intelligence through established security channels or by calling 07084988859.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

At least 23 suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have reportedly been killed in separate military air operations carried out in Borno State.

According to Zagazola Makama, a publication that reports on counter-insurgency activities in the Lake Chad region, the first operation took place at about 5:35 a.m. on Tuesday in the KLA Balia area of Marte Local Government Area after intelligence indicated the presence of suspected terrorists.

The publication reported that an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform, codenamed “Guardian,” detected three vehicles concealed at different locations before identifying five suspected insurgents taking cover beneath a tree.

It stated that after the targets were positively identified, the drone launched a precision strike that killed the five visible suspects. The strike also triggered secondary explosions, which increased the estimated death toll to 15.

Zagazola Makama added that another strike intended to destroy the concealed vehicles did not succeed after a malfunction in the laser targeting system prevented accurate target designation.

Despite the technical setback, military sources quoted by the publication described the mission as successful. They said the operation inflicted significant casualties on the insurgents and disrupted their activities.

The publication also reported that surveillance of the area is continuing, while additional operations are expected to target surviving fighters and destroy the remaining vehicles.

In another operation, the publication said the air component of Operation HADIN KAI killed eight suspected ISWAP fighters during a night combat mission along the Bama-Maiduguri main supply route on July 22.

According to the report, the helicopter crew noticed muzzle flashes from a location that had previously been identified as an insurgent training ground. The crew then fired probing shots to confirm the presence of the suspected terrorists.

The report stated that the insurgents responded by opening fire on the aircraft. The military then carried out sustained aerial strikes that reportedly killed eight suspected fighters, while others escaped into nearby bushes.

The publication said the operation formed part of ongoing air offensives aimed at disrupting insurgent movements, dismantling training camps and improving security along strategic supply routes across the North-East.

By Uzair Adam

Suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents have abducted the wife of a pastor and her three children along the Maiduguri–Damasak road in Borno State.

The incident occurred around noon on Saturday near Kareto village in Mobbar Local Government Area, according to community sources.

The victims were reportedly travelling to Damasak, where Pastor Moses Guguma serves as the resident pastor of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), when the commercial vehicle conveying them was intercepted by the armed men.

A community source, who requested anonymity, said the attackers ordered the pastor’s wife and her three children to step out of the vehicle before allowing the remaining passengers to continue their journey.

“The terrorists intercepted the commercial vehicle near Kareto village and asked the pastor’s wife and her three children to disembark.

“They allowed the other passengers to continue before disappearing into the bush with the family,” the source said.

The source added that the pastor’s wife had only recently been discharged from a hospital in Maiduguri and was still recuperating at the time of the abduction.

Another family source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the victims were deliberately targeted because of their Christian faith.

“We are currently holding special prayers, asking God to ensure the safe return of the victims,” the source said.

Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area in northern Borno, lies about 156 kilometres from Maiduguri and has experienced repeated attacks by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters over the years.

As of the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of the victims remained unknown.

Security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the incident, while the abductors had made no known contact or ransom demand.

By Uzair Adam

A soldier has been killed after suspected ISWAP terrorists launched a coordinated attack on a Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Logomani, Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State.

The insurgents also set a police outpost and a primary healthcare centre ablaze during the attack on the community, according to local sources.

The Acting Military Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Capt. Muhammed Goni, said the terrorists attempted to overrun the military base but were repelled after a fierce gun battle.

He explained that although the attackers briefly breached part of the base’s defensive perimeter, troops quickly reorganised and launched a counter-offensive that forced the insurgents to retreat with heavy casualties.

“The troops rapidly regrouped, mounted a determined counter-offensive and decisively expelled the attackers, inflicting significant casualties and forcing the surviving terrorists to flee with varying degrees of gunshot wounds,” Goni said.

He, however, disclosed that one soldier was killed during the encounter, while two gun trucks and some combat equipment were damaged.

Despite the attack, Goni said Operation Hadin Kai has continued to sustain pressure on terrorist groups across the North-East through intelligence-led operations and search-and-rescue missions.

He revealed that on July 7, troops of the 115 Task Force Battalion, while conducting a search-and-rescue operation in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, rescued two abductees from a terrorist hideout.

According to him, troops also recovered N1.2 million suspected to be proceeds of criminal activities, alongside food supplies and other logistics believed to have supported terrorist operations.

The rescued victims, he added, have been evacuated to a secure location where they are receiving medical treatment and psychosocial support.

By Uzair Adam 

The Senate has called on the Federal Government to discontinue the rehabilitation and reintegration of repentant Boko Haram members and other violent criminals, arguing that the policy has failed to curb insecurity across the country.

The resolution followed a motion on the rising cases of attacks, abductions and killings involving serving and retired military personnel, including the late former Director of Defence Information, retired Major General Rabe Abubakar.

The motion, sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina), received unanimous support during Tuesday’s plenary.

Lawmakers condemned the continued rehabilitation of former Boko Haram fighters, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements under the Federal Government’s deradicalisation programme. Several senators linked the persistent security crisis, particularly in northern Nigeria, to the release of individuals described as repentant criminals back into society.

The Senate expressed concern over what it described as the deteriorating security situation, warning that the growing attacks on serving and retired military officers represent a dangerous dimension to the country’s security challenges.

It cited the killing of retired Major General Richard Duru in Owerri after a reported ransom payment of $50,000, the murder of retired Brigadier General O.M. Harlord Udokwere in Abuja, the 56-day captivity of former NYSC Director-General, retired Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga, and the death of retired Major Aja while in captivity in Kogi State.

According to the lawmakers, the attacks pose a significant threat to national security because many of the victims previously held sensitive operational, intelligence and command positions.

The Senate observed a minute of silence in honour of Major General Rabe Abubakar and other Nigerians killed by terrorism, insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes. 

It also urged the Federal Government to ensure that perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted.

The Red Chamber further called on security and intelligence agencies to strengthen intelligence gathering, surveillance, threat assessment and early warning mechanisms, while urging the government to accelerate the deployment of modern security technology to combat terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.

The resolution comes despite the existence of Operation Safe Corridor, a Federal Government initiative launched in 2016 to deradicalise, rehabilitate and reintegrate former Boko Haram combatants who voluntarily surrendered. 

While officials have credited the programme with encouraging thousands of insurgents to abandon violence, concerns have persisted over reports of some beneficiaries allegedly returning to criminal activities.

Reacting to the Senate’s position, security analyst and Associate Professor at the University of Namibia, Dr. Babayo Sule, described the resolution as unfortunate and potentially counterproductive.

He argued that the deradicalisation programme was introduced only after military operations failed to bring lasting peace, stressing that rehabilitation and reconciliation remain recognised components of counter-insurgency strategies worldwide.

Rather than scrapping the initiative, Sule urged lawmakers to investigate its shortcomings and strengthen its implementation. He also called for greater oversight of Operation Safe Corridor and similar reconciliation programmes in states affected by insurgency.

According to him, abandoning the programme without addressing the underlying challenges could further worsen insecurity, as the country currently lacks sufficient capacity to defeat insurgents solely through military means.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

The Nigerian military has rescued 10 students and teachers who were abducted by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists during an attack on a secondary school in Borno State.

According to a statement released by the acting spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, the incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. on Monday when militants stormed Lassa Technical Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area, where students were sitting for their NECO senior secondary examinations.

The statement said troops were immediately deployed alongside air support to conduct a rescue operation. Following an exchange of fire with the terrorists in the Daggu area, the military successfully rescued 10 individuals unharmed.

“Efforts are still ongoing to rescue the remaining one person, as well as to apprehend the perpetrators of the attack and bring them to justice,” the statement read.

The military reported that during the confrontation, several terrorists were neutralized and seven motorcycles used in the attack were recovered, which hindered the militants’ escape.

However, the operation came at a cost, with one soldier and one member of the civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) killed during the firefight.

Search and rescue operations continue as security forces work to secure the release of the remaining hostage.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Troops attached to Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a man suspected to be working with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) over an alleged plan to attack military facilities in Borno State.

The suspect, identified as Muhammad Shuaibu, was apprehended by soldiers of the 212 Battalion at the Forward Operating Base in Chabbol after security operatives received intelligence about a planned terrorist operation.

According to reports from military sources cited by Zagazola Makama, a publication that focuses on insurgency activities around the Lake Chad region, troops arrested the suspect during a routine patrol conducted near the protective anti-vehicle ditch surrounding the base.

The report stated that the operation followed credible intelligence reports about an impending attack on military formations in the area.

Preliminary findings reportedly connected the suspect to an alleged plan to target the 199 Special Forces Battalion, popularly known as Mosquito Camp, alongside the Forward Operating Base in Chabbol.

Military sources said the suspect confessed during interrogation that the planned operation existed and alleged that the attackers intended to continue with the mission despite his arrest.

Security officials said the development enabled troops to tighten security around the affected military formations and improve defensive arrangements against possible attacks.

The suspect has reportedly been transferred to the 7 Military Intelligence Brigade for further investigation.

The arrest forms part of ongoing intelligence-driven operations by Operation Hadin Kai aimed at disrupting insurgent activities, dismantling terrorist networks and improving security across Nigeria’s north-east region.