A deadly fight has broken out between Boko Haram and its former members who now belong to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The battle happened on water in Abadam, Borno State, two weeks after the two groups tried but failed to reconcile.

Security expert Zagazola Makama confirmed the fight took place on Friday, February 14, 2025, near ISWAP camps in the villages of Toumbun Gini and Toumbun Ali in the Lake Chad Basin.

He reported that ISWAP lost many fighters and warned that the violence might spread to Kukawa, where Boko Haram is still fighting ISWAP.

The conflict between Boko Haram and ISWAP goes back to 2016 when some members of Boko Haram, led by Habib Yusuf, left the group because they disagreed with their leader, Abubakar Shekau.

They later pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), forming ISWAP. Since then, both groups have been attacking each other, especially in the Lake Chad region.