More than 50 fighters have reportedly been killed in a violent clash between rival insurgent groups; JAS and the ISWAP in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State.
Security sources told counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama that the clash happened on Sunday afternoon around 3 p.m at Toumbun Gini, an island community in the Lake Chad region.
According to the sources, ISWAP fighters used 10 heavily armed boats to launch an attack aimed at reclaiming the island, which had recently fallen under the control of the JAS faction. However, JAS reportedly got intelligence of the planned attack and set up a counter-ambush.
“At exactly 1500 hours, ISWAP boats landed and what was planned as a surprise offensive quickly turned into a deadly trap. The first shots were decisive. JAS fighters overpowered them within minutes. ISWAP was routed,” the source said.
More than 50 ISWAP fighters were reportedly killed in the ambush, while seven of their boats were seized. Three others escaped with casualties. Videos appearing to show the aftermath of the clash circulated online on Sunday.
Zagazola described the incident as “Day 5 of intensified rivalry between the two insurgent factions,” who are fighting for control of territory and resources in the Lake Chad islands.
He warned that the ongoing push by JAS could force surviving ISWAP members to flee toward mainland communities around Kukawa, Monguno, and Marte, posing more security risks for civilians and security forces.
Zagazola noted that the infighting has weakened both groups’ capacity to stage large-scale attacks but has also created smaller, unpredictable cells that are more difficult to monitor.
“What is happening on Lake Chad today is a conflict within a conflict, and Nigerian troops remain in the middle of the battlefield,” he said.
“This is the best time for the Nigerian military to tighten the corridor and deny both factions space to regroup.”
