Dozens of fighters were reportedly killed on Tuesday in a renewed clash between the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and elements of the Bukura faction loyal to Abu Umaima along the Lake Chad Basin in Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State. The confrontation, which began around 6:00 a.m. and lasted until approximately 10:15 a.m., occurred near Dogon Chiku Buhari village, a border settlement less than a kilometre from the Nigeria–Niger Republic boundary. Heavily armed fighters from the Bukura faction, reportedly operating from settlements on the Niger side of the border, launched an assault on ISWAP elements stationed on the Nigerian side.
Security analyst and counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama, citing multiple sources, described the fighting as intense, with both sides deploying significant manpower and weaponry in a sustained bid for territorial control. The clash reportedly affected areas around Dogon Chiku Buhari, east of Tubum Mota, and along the Bosso–Diffa axis in Niger, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. Tubum Mota village, situated about 19 kilometres east of Malam Fatori, has remained a flashpoint due to its strategic location along the Lake Chad Basin.
The renewed violence is linked to long-standing rivalries within the jihadist ecosystem in the Lake Chad region. ISWAP has sought to consolidate authority by absorbing or eliminating splinter groups, while the Bukura faction under Abu Umaima has resisted subordination, relying on cross-border mobility, local alliances, and knowledge of the terrain. Analysts warned that the porous Nigeria–Niger border continues to complicate counterterrorism operations, allowing armed groups to move with relative ease and sustain their activities across the region.