Boko Haram Leader Rejects Ceasefire Claims with Nigerian Government

Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, better known as Boko Haram, has denied reports of a ceasefire agreement with the Nigerian government, according to HumAngle.

The report states that the denial came in a seven-minute video featuring the group’s Sharia judge, called Mallam Abdulrahman.

Sources close to the situation believe that “a small Boko Haram team may have agreed to the government’s request without first securing approval from the group’s leadership.” This came just days after The New Humanitarian said the Nigerian government secretly made a ceasefire deal with the group led by Bakura Doro, also known as Abu Humaimah.

Three people with connections to senior Boko Haram members told the publication that the truce has been in place since June and is likely to be extended. The ceasefire is linked to efforts to secure the release of over 300 civilians kidnapped in March from Ngoshe, a community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

The report, cited by PREMIUM TIMES, claimed the hostages were freed in June after negotiations involving government representatives, intermediaries, and the insurgents. The agreement reportedly included a ransom payment of N5 billion, a claim the government has denied.

Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga told PREMIUM TIMES that only the office of the National Security Adviser or the Ministry of Defence can clarify the situation. A spokesperson for the NSA did not respond to a request for comment.

In the new video, Mr Abdulrahman called the report “a lie.” He mentioned that the group learned about the claim through news reports. He accused the Nigerian government of “deceiving the public,” especially with the election season approaching, even though the government did not confirm any deal with the terror group.

He stated that the group is open to reconciliation but insisted that the reported ceasefire is false. “It is not that there is no room for reconciliation in our religion,” he said. “We know there is reconciliation in religion. But this reconciliation that you are spreading word of is a lie.”

Mr Abdulrahman also referenced the deaths of two former Boko Haram leaders, Muhammad Yusuf and Abubakar Shekau, stating that the group’s stance against democratic government remains unchanged. He urged fighters not to be discouraged by “mere deception.”

Boko Haram has caused the deaths of thousands of people over the past ten years across Nigeria, particularly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.