Nigerian troops say they killed at least 34 suspected insurgents in a series of joint operations around Lake Chad last week, part of a renewed push against Boko Haram and its rival faction in the North-east.
The Nigerian Navy said in a statement on Saturday, October 31, that marines from Naval Base Lake Chad worked with the Nigerian Army’s 403 Amphibious Brigade during offensives under Operation Hadin Kai, the military’s joint task force for the region.
What the military says happened
According to the statement, issued by naval spokesperson Abiodun Folrunsho and reported by Premium Times:
- On October 28, troops killed 28 suspected Boko Haram fighters.
- On October 30, six more were killed in the Dumba enclave.
The military said the figure of 34 is still subject to further verification. It did not say whether any soldiers or sailors were killed or wounded, whether weapons were recovered, or whether the fighting took place on water or on land.
Claims of this kind usually come only from the military, and independent journalists rarely have access to the remote islands and swamps where the fighting happens. The numbers cannot be independently confirmed.
Why Lake Chad matters
Lake Chad sits where Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon meet. Its shrinking waters, marshes and hundreds of small islands have become a key hideout for jihadist groups since the insurgency began in 2009.
The area is a base for both Boko Haram (known formally as JAS) and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which broke away from Boko Haram in 2016. ISWAP in particular has used the lake islands to train fighters, store supplies and collect “taxes” from fishermen and traders.
Dumba, named in the latest statement, has long been linked to insurgent activity. It was the scene of a 2020 massacre in which jihadists killed soldiers from Chad, prompting a major Chadian counter-offensive.
Amphibious warfare
The Army’s 403 Amphibious Brigade was set up because fighting around the lake often means moving by boat through channels and flooded land that ordinary units cannot easily reach. Working with Navy marines gives troops more ability to chase fighters across water routes that insurgents use for supplies.
Nigeria also takes part in the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), which brings together forces from the four lake countries and Benin, although cooperation has been strained at times, especially after Niger’s 2023 coup.
A long war
The insurgency has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced more than two million in the North-east since 2009, according to United Nations estimates. Despite years of military claims of progress, attacks on soldiers, farmers and villages continue in Borno and nearby states.
Security analysts say battlefield successes need to be backed by better protection for communities, rebuilding of destroyed towns and support for people returning home if the region is to see lasting peace.
Sources: Nigerian Navy statement via Premium Times; UN data.
