More than 50 insurgents have reportedly been killed in a fierce battle between rival factions of Boko Haram — Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunna lid-Da‘wa wa’l-Jihād (JAS) — and the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) at Toumbun Gini, an island community in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
Security sources told counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama that the confrontation took place around 3:00 p.m. on Sunday after ISWAP fighters attempted to launch an offensive against JAS forces.
According to the sources, ISWAP mobilised fighters in 10 heavily armed boats to reclaim the island, which had recently fallen under the control of the JAS faction.
JAS lays ambush, overpowers ISWAP fighters
Intelligence reportedly reached JAS commanders ahead of the planned assault, enabling them to prepare an ambush.
“At exactly 1500 hours, ISWAP boats landed, but what was meant to be a surprise offensive turned into a deadly trap. The first shots were decisive. JAS fighters overpowered them within minutes, and ISWAP was routed,” one source said.
Reports indicate that more than 50 ISWAP fighters were killed in the counterattack, while seven of their boats were seized. The remaining three boats reportedly managed to escape with several casualties.
Videos emerge as rivalry intensifies around Lake Chad
Video clips said to show the aftermath of the fighting surfaced online on Sunday. Zagazola described the clash as the fifth straight day of violent confrontations between the two rival groups, both struggling for control of strategic territories and resources around the Lake Chad region.
Security analysts have warned that sustained pressure from JAS could force surviving ISWAP elements to retreat toward mainland communities bordering Kukawa, Monguno, and Marte local government areas — heightening security risks for civilians and security forces.
Analysts urge military to act as conflict deepens
Experts say that while the infighting has weakened both factions and reduced their ability to carry out large-scale attacks, it has also split them into smaller, harder-to-track cells.
“What is happening on Lake Chad today is a conflict within a conflict, and Nigerian troops remain in the middle of the battlefield,” Zagazola said.
“This is the best time for the Nigerian military to tighten the corridor and deny both factions space to regroup.”
