Nigeria and Boko Haram reportedly observe a secret three-month ceasefire

A reported pause hidden from public view

Nigeria’s government and a Boko Haram faction have reportedly maintained a secret ceasefire since June around communities near Ngoshe in northeastern Borno State. Al Jazeera, summarising an investigation based on people with contacts inside the armed group, said the arrangement followed negotiations that secured the release of 360 villagers abducted during a March attack. Nigerian authorities did not publicly announce the deal, and Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify either the truce or an alleged government payment.

The distinction between a reported local arrangement and a national peace process is crucial. Sources cited in the investigation described attacks as having stopped in communities around Ngoshe and suggested that the initial three-month pause might be extended by roughly 40 days. The arrangement reportedly excludes Islamic State West Africa Province, Boko Haram’s rival in the Lake Chad basin. Fighting between those factions therefore continues, as can violence elsewhere in northeastern Nigeria even if the Ngoshe understanding holds.

Why the location matters

Ngoshe lies near the Mandara Mountains and Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, terrain used by armed groups for cross-border movement, kidnapping and concealment. A United Nations monitoring report published in February identified a Boko Haram faction based in the Mandara Mountains and Ngoshe area and described increased kidnapping for ransom as a more sustainable financing method. That institutional background supports the strategic importance of the reported negotiations without independently confirming that Abuja accepted a ceasefire.

The account also exposes tension between Nigeria’s public and private approaches. President Bola Tinubu’s administration has emphasised military expansion and has publicly rejected negotiating with Boko Haram. The report, however, describes indirect contacts involving security officials, diplomats and mediators. Previous pauses have collapsed, while governments facing mass abductions often confront pressure to recover civilians without creating incentives for further kidnappings. The reported payment of five billion naira remains disputed and should not be treated as established fact.

What to watch

The first test is whether residents around Ngoshe continue to experience fewer attacks after the reported extension period. Evidence of unrestricted militant movement, weapons transfers or renewed abductions would indicate that the pause was tactical rather than a pathway to demobilisation. Confirmation from Nigeria’s government, military, mediators or United Nations monitors would materially change the assessment. Until then, this is a significant reported local truce—not a verified nationwide ceasefire and not an eligible map alert.