Bombardments target Boko Haram strongholds 

Since Friday, Chadian fighter jets have been conducting strikes on islands within Lake Chad, which are under the control of Boko Haram. These critical areas are situated near the borders shared by Nigeria, Niger, and Chad. An anti-jihadist self-defense group member indicated that these military operations were initiated in response to a recent assault by Boko Haram against the Chadian army. Reports suggest that the airstrikes specifically targeted Shuwa island, identified as a significant jihadist base and a prominent fishing hub frequently visited by Nigerian fishermen. 

Fishermen caught in the crossfire 

A representative from the Lake Chad fishermen’s union has stated that at least 40 Nigerian fishermen are unaccounted for and are likely to have drowned during the aerial bombardments. “Many people were killed,” confirmed Adamu Haladu, a fisherman originally from Baga, located in Nigeria’s northeast. According to Haladu, the majority of the victims hailed from the town of Doron Baga and the Nigerian state of Taraba. Witnesses explained that these fishermen had been granted access to the fish-rich zones after paying a levy imposed by Boko Haram. 

A region plagued by persistent insecurity 

For over fifteen years, the Lake Chad basin, which is shared by Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, has served as a sanctuary for jihadist factions like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). To counter this escalating threat, the bordering nations reactivated a multinational joint task force in 2015. However, regional collaboration has deteriorated in recent years, particularly following Niger’s withdrawal from this alliance in 2025. The Chadian military has yet to issue an official statement regarding these grave allegations.