The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has declined to comment on the allegations that the federal government reached a secret ceasefire deal with Boko Haram terrorists in June 2026.

A report published on Monday by The New Humanitarian alleged that the ceasefire followed negotiations linked to the release of 360 civilians abducted in Ngoshe, Borno State. It further alleged that the arrangement involved the payment of N5 billion as ransom, a claim the federal government has denied.

According to the report, the government had also engaged intermediaries in the negotiations with Boko Haram over the release of hostages.

Citing three sources with contacts among the Boko Haram members, it claimed that the ceasefire had been in effect since June, adding that attacks had reduced in some communities around Ngoshe following the agreement.

However, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Mike Onoja, declined to comment on the report when The Guardian sought the military’s position yesterday.

The reported development comes against the backdrop of Nigeria’s nearly two-decade battle against Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.

A United Nations Development Programme assessment has estimated nearly 350,000 deaths caused by Boko Haram and about 35,000 direct deaths from battle or one-sided violence as of the end of 2020.