A brutal confrontation between rival jihadist groups erupted along the shores of Lake Chad on Sunday, resulting in one of the deadliest internecine battles in recent years between Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Intelligence officials, local militia leaders and militant-sources confirm that over 200 fighters were killed in the fight.
The clash broke out in the settlement of Dogon Chiku, a strategic island community along the lake’s edge, where both factions have long vied for influence, control of waterways and smuggling corridors.
Sources say the fight began with an early-morning amphibious assault by Boko Haram fighters on ISWAP positions.
According to anti-jihadist militia member Babakura Kolo, ISWAP bore the brunt of the offensive. “From the toll we got, around 200 ISWAP terrorists were killed in the fight,” he told AFP.
A former Boko Haram fighter turned monitor corroborated the figure and said several weapons caches were seized.
He added that Boko Haram lost only four men in the battle — making this “perhaps the worst clash between the two groups since they began attacking each other.”
An intelligence source tracking the Lake Chad Basin noted the official estimate offered by security assessments places the death toll at more than 150 — also described as “good news to us” from the perspective of anti-insurgent forces.
The significance of the battle goes beyond the immediate losses. The rivalry between Boko Haram and ISWAP dates back to their 2016 split, when the extremist network divided over leadership, strategy and allegiance.
Since then, the Lake Chad region has become a patchwork of remote islands, shallow lake waters and difficult terrain — a landscape that both groups exploit for camps, supply routes and clandestine movement.
Observers say the recent fighting indicates a shift from occasional skirmishes toward a sustained campaign for territorial dominance.
Control of smuggling and taxation networks among fishermen, traders and transporters across Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon is at stake.
The humanitarian consequence is deeply worrying. Island communities and lakeshore villages in the Lake Chad Basin are already under tremendous strain from repeated insurgent attacks, displacement and disruption to livelihoods. With both groups now locked in a fierce battle, civilians are once again caught in the crossfire.
Also Read: Top 10 Art Galleries in Nigeria Powering the $254 Million Crafts Market
For now, the dust around Dogon Chiku remains unsettled, but one thing is clear: the internal militant war between Boko Haram and ISWAP has erupted with a magnitude that could reshape the balance of power in the Lake Chad region.
