Renewed ISWAP–Boko Haram faction clash kills dozens in Borno

Dozens of fighters were killed on Tuesday during a fresh clash between the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and the Bukura faction loyal to Abu Umaima along the Lake Chad Basin in Abadam Local Government Area, Borno State.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the fighting erupted between 6:00 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. near Dogon Chiku Buhari village, a border settlement barely one kilometre from the Nigeria–Niger frontier.

The Bukura faction, reportedly operating from settlements on the Niger Republic side of the border, confronted ISWAP fighters stationed on the Nigerian side.

“The confrontation occurred around Dogon Chiku Buhari, east of Tubum Mota and along the Bosso–Diffa axis in Niger Republic.

“The battle lasted several hours and caused heavy casualties on both sides,” a source said.

Tubum Mota village, located about 19 kilometres east of Malam Fatori, has remained a hotspot for rival extremist groups.

Analysts say the renewed violence stems from longstanding rivalries within the jihadist network.

ISWAP has been attempting to consolidate power across the Lake Chad Basin by absorbing or eliminating splinter factions, while the Bukura/Abu Umaima faction has resisted subordination, leveraging cross-border mobility and local alliances.

The porous border allows fighters to relocate quickly, complicating counterterrorism efforts by Nigerian forces and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).