At least 82 Boko Haram fighters have been reportedly killed in an inter-ethnic clash among Boko Haram fighters occurred in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to Daily Trust, this was disclosed by local and security sources living in Baga and areas along Lake Chad fringes.
The clash ensued following the demise of seven Boko Haram combatants belonging to the Buduma ethnic group.
The combatants were subjected to execution by their commanding officer on Bukkwaram Island subsequent to their unsuccessful attempt to surrender to the Nigerian armed forces on Tuesday.
According to the source, “Their colleagues, whom they confided in, betrayed them and informed their commander of their plan to surrender. They were later intercepted and taken to Bukkwaram Island where the commander sentenced them to death by firing.
“So after killing them, an ethnic crisis broke out among the four tribes of the fighters—Hausa, Fulani, Kanuri and Buduma.
“Some of the fighters of the Buduma ethnic group accused the commander of high handedness, considering how they are losing fighters in the area recently,” the source added.
As per the cited source, a convened assembly was organised wherein commanders from various tribes reached a consensus to permit fighters to embark on their chosen destinations.
“However, one of the commanders, Baduma Bakura, a Buduma by tribe, who arrived at the meeting from Ali Mandula base in Niger Republic, yesterday resisted.
“He said he came to investigate the killing of his brethren and threatened to shoot whoever attempted to leave the venue but in the heat of argument, one of the Fulani fighters shot Buduma dead.
“The fire exchanges raged and 82 fighters were killed. Nobody could tell who Boko Haram or ISWAP fighters among them are. It was purely an ethnic war,” he said.
According to a security source in the region, it has been reported that a significant number of the killed combatants were widely recognised individuals affiliated with Boko Haram. These individuals had previously sought refuge in Niger Republic and other regions within the Sahel after fleeing from Baga, Doron Baga, and Kukawa.
“They escaped from the other side of Lake Chad in Niger and returned home, then ethnic conflict erupted.
“It’s still not clear the number of commanders lost in the hostility but it was a great damage on their side, and some of the Buduma fighters that survived the war had even fled to Chad,” he added.
