Nigeria’s military on Thursday denied reaching a ceasefire deal with Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa Province (ISWAP), and other armed groups, insisting that counterterrorism operations will continue amid allegations of secret negotiations with insurgents.
The Defense Headquarters said Nigerian troops are sustaining pressure on armed groups through operations across the country, including against kidnappers and other criminal networks.
“There is nothing like a ceasefire,” spokesman Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba told a news briefing in the capital Abuja.
According to a press statement shared with Anadolu, the military said it would continue operations against groups threatening public safety, adding that criminals would be dealt with through lawful military operations or brought to justice.
The statement follows a September report by The New Humanitarian alleging that the government had reached a temporary ceasefire with a faction of Boko Haram led by Ibrahim Bakura Doro.
The report, citing three people with contacts among senior insurgent members, said the alleged truce had been in place since June following negotiations that secured the release of 360 civilians abducted from the Ngoshe community in the northeastern Borno State.
It also alleged that the arrangement involved a payment of 5 billion naira (about $3.7 million) to the insurgents. The Nigerian government denied making the payment.
But Uba said that troops carried out 588 security operations in September and October, neutralizing 435 terrorists and bandits, arresting 809 suspects, and securing the surrender of 198 insurgents.
The military also rescued 717 kidnapped victims and recovered 5,666 weapons, pieces of ammunition, explosives, and improvised explosive devices, he said.
Uba added that the armed forces are tracking insurgents moving away from their traditional strongholds to prevent them from establishing bases in other parts of the country.
Nigeria has battled Boko Haram‘s insurgency since 2009, a conflict that has killed thousands of people, displaced millions and spread insecurity across the Lake Chad region, including neighboring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
