Nigeria, Boko Haram reportedly reach secret three-month ceasefire

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported that a secret ceasefire between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram has allegedly been in place for about three months, based on an investigation by The New Humanitarian. According to that report, the arrangement began in June after talks linked to the release of 360 civilians abducted from Ngoshe village in Nigeria’s northeast, near the border with Cameroon. The incident and the negotiations are said to have followed a Boko Haram attack on a nearby army base in March.

The reported truce is notable because Nigeria has publicly rejected talks with Boko Haram, which the authorities classify as a terrorist group, while President Bola Tinubu has instead emphasized military expansion. Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify the ceasefire or claims that the government paid five billion naira for the civilians’ release. The New Humanitarian also said it did not receive responses from government or security spokespeople before publication.

The report said the ceasefire does not cover Islamic State West Africa Province, a rival armed faction that remains active in the wider Lake Chad region. Analysts quoted by The New Humanitarian cautioned that any pause in violence may be temporary rather than a durable peace process. The development matters because northeastern Nigeria has faced years of insurgency, displacement and kidnappings tied to Boko Haram and splinter groups.