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The Lake Chad Basin is witnessing a renewed wave of violence as rival jihadist groups, Boko Haram’s Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, JAS, and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) engage in intense battles for control of strategic island settlements in Abadam and Kukawa Local Councils of Borno State.
According to counter-insurgency expert and security analyst Zagazola Makama yesterday, the clashes occurred between November 5 and 8 across key islands identified as Sahel 1, Dogon Chuku, Mangari, and the riverine basins of Tumbun Gini, Tumbun Dalo, Tumbun Shanu, Mangari, and Dumba.
The report said Boko Haram fighters, led by commanders Hassan Buduma and Mohd Hassan, launched coordinated attacks on ISWAP positions, using multiple motorised watercraft equipped with heavy weapons.
The group reportedly advanced from Tumbun Gini through the upper river basin, striking ISWAP bases in an early-morning assault described as “an amphibious attack in insurgent style.”
Sources said the offensive forced ISWAP fighters to abandon several camps and retreat towards mainland hideouts around Ali Jillimari, Metele, Kangarwa, and Gudumbali.
The number of casualties remains hazy, but intelligence surveillance reportedly detected several bodies floating in the water and others buried in shallow sand pits.
Makama’s report indicated that Boko Haram’s goal is to eliminate ISWAP from the Lake Chad islands and seize control of critical supply and smuggling routes connecting Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
These corridors are believed to generate millions of Naira through extortion of fishermen, traders, and transport operators.
MEANWHILE, former Governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff has dismissed as false and malicious a viral report claiming he accused Vice President Kashim Shettima of creating Boko Haram.
A statement issued by his media office described the publication titled “It’s Not Me, It’s Shettima Who Created Boko Haram – Sheriff Reveals” as a complete fabrication and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and tarnish his reputation.
The ex-governor, who is also a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said he never granted any interview or made any comment remotely connected to the claim circulating online.
“The said story is a total falsehood, devoid of truth, and a deliberate attempt to sow discord within the nation’s political landscape,” the statement read, adding: “At no time did Senator Sheriff grant an interview or engage with any journalist on the matter.”
He described the publication as “a dangerous piece of fake news” aimed at undermining his contributions to peace, unity, and development in Borno State and Nigeria at large.
Sheriff reaffirmed his commitment to national stability and condemned what he called the “unscrupulous actions” of individuals and platforms spreading misinformation for political gain.
The statement also revealed that Sheriff has directed his legal team to take immediate steps to identify and prosecute those behind the false report.
