Nigerian Government Reportedly Reaches Secret Ceasefire With Boko Haram Faction

The Nigerian government has reportedly reached a secret ceasefire with the Boko Haram faction led by Bakura Doro, a truce that has kept parts of northeastern Nigeria relatively calm for about three months.

The New Humanitarian reported that the agreement followed efforts to secure the release of more than 300 civilians abducted in March from Ngoshe, in Borno State’s Gwoza Local Government Area. The captives spent about 95 days in captivity before they were released in June.

The government described the release as the result of an intelligence-led operation involving Operation Hadin Kai, the joint task force in the northeast, and the State Security Service. But people with contacts among senior Boko Haram members told The New Humanitarian that negotiations involving government representatives, intermediaries and insurgents led to the release. They said the truce has been in effect since June and could be extended.

The reported agreement allegedly included a N5 billion ransom, a claim the government has denied. Borno youth leader Samaila Kaigama first made the allegation during a July interview with Channels TV and linked Senator Ali Ndume to facilitating the payment. Ndume rejected the claim. Kaigama was later arrested by the State Security Service and arraigned in court. The agency said it found evidence linking him to the extortion of families of kidnapping victims, an allegation previously made by Ndume.

A report by SBM Intelligence also said that N5 billion was paid for the hostages’ release. Nigerian authorities have consistently maintained that they do not pay ransoms to terrorist groups, although critics have repeatedly accused them of violating that policy. The New Humanitarian said humanitarian workers and residents had observed an unusual lull in violence, with attacks attributed to Doro’s faction falling significantly since June.