A faction of Boko Haram has denied reports that it entered into a secret ceasefire agreement with the Nigerian government or received a ransom payment in exchange for releasing abducted civilians.
In a seven-minute video released on Sunday, September 13, a man identified by HumAngle as Mallam Abdulrahman, the Sharia judge of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal Jihad (JAS) faction, dismissed the reports as false.
Speaking first in Arabic and later in Hausa, Abdulrahman repeatedly described the claims as “a lie.”
His denial came days after The New Humanitarian reported that the Nigerian government had secretly negotiated a temporary ceasefire with JAS since June.
The reported arrangement allegedly facilitated the release of 360 civilians abducted from Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. The report also claimed that the government paid N5 billion as part of the deal, an allegation the government denied.
In the video, Abdulrahman said he was speaking on behalf of “Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lid Da’wati Wal Jihad, under the leadership of the Mujahid Imam Abu Umaima,” a name associated with the faction’s commander, Bakura Doro, who has led the group since 2022.
He said the group only became aware of the ceasefire claims one or two days earlier through media reports.
According to him, the reports were politically motivated and designed to deceive Nigerians ahead of the country’s election season.
“They know their election season has arrived, so they know this is the season for deceiving the public,” he said.
Abdulrahman acknowledged that reconciliation was recognised in Islam but insisted that the group had not negotiated with the government.
“It is not that there is no room for reconciliation in our religion. We know there is reconciliation in religion. But this reconciliation that you are spreading word of is a lie,” he said.
However, sources familiar with the negotiations told HumAngle that a small team of Boko Haram members may have accepted the government’s request without obtaining approval from the group’s leadership. The concession reportedly occurred during discussions over the release of the abducted civilians.
Abdulrahman invoked the group’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed in 2009, saying Yusuf had warned followers never to submit to a democratic government.
He also referred to Abubakar Shekau, the group’s former leader who was killed in 2021 during clashes with the rival Islamic State West Africa Province.
Abdulrahman claimed that Shekau “did not weaken, did not follow you, did not accept your offer” before his death.
“Today, we are under the leadership of Imam Abu Umaima,” he said, adding that the commander would remain committed to the group’s ideology until his final breath.
The video ended with a threat to the Nigerian government. Abdulrahman told officials to “die in your rage” and warned that the group would attack whenever and wherever it found an opportunity, irrespective of any alleged truce.
He further claimed that Abu Umaima and other JAS commanders had “no connection, internal or external, to this talk of reconciliation.”
The video confirms that JAS, or at least a faction claiming to represent it, is aware of the ceasefire reports and has chosen to publicly reject them.
The situation around Ngoshe will now be closely watched, particularly whether the relative calm reportedly observed since June continues or whether attacks resume in the coming weeks.
- Police warn of planned terrorist attacks on schools, worship centres - September 15, 2026
- Nigeria’s arms imports rise 104% ahead of 2027 elections - September 15, 2026
- How Lamine Yamal got his name - September 15, 2026
