•Terrorists
Clashes between rival jihadist factions in Northeast Nigeria have claimed some 200 lives in the restive Lake Chad area, intelligence, militia, and jihadist sources told our correspondent.
Fighting between Boko Haram and rival militants from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group broke out in Dogon Chiku on the shores of Lake Chad yesterday, in the latest bout of infighting for territorial control fuelled by ideological rifts, reports AFP.
“From the toll we got, around 200 ISWAP terrorists were killed in the fight,” Babakura Kolo, a member of an anti-jihadist militia assisting the Nigerian military, told our correspondent.
A former Boko Haram jihadist, who has since renounced violence but follows jihadist activities in the region, also said “around 200 ISWAP fighters were killed in the clashes”, with several of their weapons seized.
Boko Haram lost four fighters in the battle, according to the former militant, who asked to be identified only by his first name, Saddiku.
“This could be the worst clash between the two groups since they began attacking each other,” said Saddiku, who lives in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, the epicentre of the insurgency.
A Nigerian intelligence source working in the region said they were following the aftermath of the clashes, estimating that they “killed more than 150”.
“We are aware of the fighting, which is good news to us,” the intelligence source said.
ISWAP and Boko Haram have been locked in a deadly struggle for territorial control since their split in 2016 over ideological differences, with much of the fighting taking place around Lake Chad.
Meanwhile, farmers in parts of Zamfara and Sokoto States have raised alarm over increasing levies and intimidation by armed bandits, who they say are imposing conditions on communities for this year’s harvest season.
Residents said that despite favourable rainfall in recent years, widespread attacks have turned farmlands into conflict zones, putting farmers in constant fear and threatening food supplies across northern Nigeria.
Villagers reported that bandits have introduced what they describe as “harvest taxes,” demanding payments in cash or agricultural produce before allowing farmers to access or harvest their fields.
According to community sources, in some locations, the armed groups allegedly mount checkpoints around villages, collect levies, and punish those unable to meet their demands.
“We are living under a parallel authority,” said a farmer from Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
“They gave us a timetable on when to go to our farms, how much to pay, and they also take a portion of our grains. Those who refuse are attacked or abducted,” he added.
The situation has forced many farmers to abandon their fields even as crops are due for harvest.
