Many Killed As Boko Haram And ISWAP Turn On Each Other In Fierce Battle

Members of the Boko Haram terrorist group loyal to Abubakar Shekau have engaged in a fierce battle with members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The battle between the two terror groups reportedly took place in Sunawa, a border area between Nigeria and the Niger Republic.

The clash resulted in the death of many fighters from both sides but more from the ISWAP camp, Naija News gathered.

HumAngle quoting an al-Qaida affiliated media outfit, Al Thabat in a statement said “Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad, commonly known as Boko Haram, killed Islamic State West Africa Province insurgents in the village of Sunawa on the Nigeria-Niger border.”

A report on the incident, monitored on the BBC Hausa website also has it that ISWAP abducted dozens of women linked to Boko Haram which prompted the counter-attack to rescue the abducted women.

Meanwhile, renowned Islamic cleric, Shiekh Abubakar Ahmad Gumi, has said the bandits he met in Niger state denied abducting 27 students of Government Science College (GSC), Kagara.

Recall that armed bandits had on Wednesday attacked GSC Kagara in Rafi local government area of Niger, where they abducted many people including students and staff of the school.

Later on, the Islamic scholar led Government officials to meet with bandits in the state as part of efforts targeted at facilitating the release of the abducted Kagara students and staff.

The meeting between the government officials and leaders of the bandits held at Dutsen Magaji, Mariga Local Government Area of Niger State.

But the Sheikh has now disclosed that he is not part of any negotiation for the release of the schoolchildren and that he only met the bandits to dissuade them from crime.

Speaking with ThisDay, Shiekh Gumi said “I am not part of any negotiations. We just met some of these militants (in Niger State), trying to dissuade them from their militancy.

“We asked them (the bandits) about what happened and they said they know the group that abducted the bus and they said they will intercede and see that they are released.

“But for the (school) children, they said they didn’t know who did it because it was too early for them to know. Those groups we met may be having problems with a splinter group.”

“The people I met with are not the ones who abducted the students,” the cleric said, but added that “the overall commander of the group we met promised that he would investigate those who abducted the children and get them released.”