The key facts

  • The Nigerian army has officially denied concluding a ceasefire with Boko Haram and ISWAP
  • In September and October, 588 operations were conducted, 435 militants neutralised and 717 abductees freed
  • The statement was a response to The New Humanitarian's report of a secret truce with one faction since June

Army denies ceasefire

Nigeria's military command on Thursday denied reports of a ceasefire agreement with Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other armed groups, stressing that counter-terrorism operations are continuing. 'There is no such thing as a ceasefire,' Major General Samaila Uba, official spokesman for the Defence Headquarters, said at a briefing in the capital, Abuja. The report comes via Anadolu citing the briefing and an official press release.

Reason for the denial

The statement followed a September investigation by The New Humanitarian, which claimed that the government had reached a temporary truce with a Boko Haram faction led by Ibrahim Bakura Doro. According to the outlet, which cited three people with contacts among the militants' leadership, the arrangement had been in place since June and was accompanied by the release of 360 civilians abducted in the community of Ngoshe in the north-eastern state of Borno. The investigation also claimed that 5 billion naira (about $3.7 million) had been paid to the militants; Nigerian authorities denied that any payment had taken place.

Operation statistics

At the briefing, Uba presented figures on the army's performance in September and October: 588 security operations were conducted, 435 terrorists and bandits were neutralised, 809 suspects were arrested, and another 198 militants surrendered. A total of 717 abducted people were freed, and 5,666 weapons, ammunition items, explosives and improvised explosive devices were seized. The military also said it was tracking the movements of militants away from their traditional strongholds to prevent them from establishing bases in other parts of the country.

Conflict context

Nigeria has been fighting the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009. According to Anadolu, the conflict has claimed thousands of lives, displaced millions of people and spread instability across the Lake Chad region, including neighbouring Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Thus, the official denial of a ceasefire contrasts with the content of the September investigation: the military insists on continuing military operations, while the question of possible backroom arrangements remains a matter of the outlet's claims and the authorities' denials.