NIGERIAN Government and Boko Haram have allegedly maintained a secret ceasefire for the past three months, following behind-the-scenes negotiations that led to the release of hundreds of civilians abducted in Borno State.

The revelation, first reported by The New Humanitarian, marks a significant departure from the Federal Government’s publicly stated refusal to negotiate with the group and other terrorist organisations.

Three people with contacts within Boko Haram, including senior members, independently told the news platform that a truce had been in effect since June and could be extended for another 40 days.

The alleged arrangement is linked to the release of 360 civilians abducted from Ngoshe, in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State in the Mandara Mountains near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, after Boko Haram fighters attacked a nearby military base in March.

In June, the Nigerian Army announced that 360 abductees had been freed from Boko Haram captivity in the Mandara Mountains. Two infants reportedly died during their captivity because of the harsh conditions.

But behind that release, sources told the news platform, was a broader arrangement that allegedly included a N5 billion ransom payment, equivalent to about $3.7 million at the exchange rate cited in the report.

When news of the release of the 360 civilians emerged in June, the Nigerian Army said troops had rescued the victims from a heavily fortified Boko Haram enclave in the Mandara Mountains following an intelligence-led operation.

The military said Special Forces and troops of Sector 1 under Operation Hadin Kai stormed the enclave and freed the captives.

But the circumstances surrounding the release have since generated competing accounts, as some local and security sources said that Boko Haram released the captives, contradicting the Army’s account that the civilians were rescued during a military operation.

Boko Haram had publicly demanded that amount for the release of the Ngoshe captives, and in April, the terrorists reportedly issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the government over the ransom demand before announcing that negotiations had been withdrawn.

The New Humanitarian said it contacted government spokespersons, Defence Headquarters and the Nigerian Army to verify the reported ceasefire but received no response before publication.

The Guardian also reported that Defence Headquarters declined to comment on the allegation, noting that the Director of Defence Media Operations, Mike Onoja, declined to comment when approached.

Despite the Nigerian government consistent claim that Boko Haram is a terrorist organisation with which there can be no negotiation, sources familiar with the dialogue process said that the office of the National Security Adviser and the Department of State Services have historically been involved in discreet contacts with insurgents.

A diplomat familiar with the chronology of those contacts told the publication that Nigerian governments have quietly explored dialogue with Boko Haram since the insurgency began in 2009.

The diplomat said that both sides believe a settlement remains possible, noting that previous attempts have repeatedly collapsed, however, with internal opposition within government and the military reportedly undermining confidence between the parties.

The government official referenced that a previous ceasefire, known as a hudna, in 2022/2023 also failed.

The reported ceasefire comes against the backdrop of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed emphasis on expanding Nigeria’s military capacity.

In July, Tinubu announced plans to recruit 30,000 additional soldiers and create four new army divisions, describing the expansion as providing the teeth required to crush terrorism and banditry.

As recently as June, the government was publicly highlighting battlefield successes against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

At a June 4 security briefing, Information and National Orientation Minister, Mohammed Idris, said troops under Operation Hadin Kai had continued to record significant gains in the North-East, including operations around the Kirawa-Pulka and Ngoshe axes.

The government said more than 50 terrorists had been neutralised in the preceding week and that approximately 1,000 terrorist elements had been eliminated during the first quarter of 2026.

Nanji Nandang VENLEY

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Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.