A deadly mutiny broke out at ISWAP terrorists’ self-proclaimed Headquarters, located at Koyowa, a remote camp in the fringes of the Lake Chad Basin, West and Central Africa region, with routes stretching towards the Sahel via the Niger Republic.
Sources confirmed that the ISWAP jihadist clash occurred on Sunday, December 13th less than 24 hours after reports emerged of the appointment of a new ISWAP terrorists’ Governor of the Lake Chad region, Amir Aliyu Chakkar.
According to reports, more than 50 jihadists have died and several others seriously injured; from both loyalists and opposing units of the new Governor in a bloody shoot-out that lasted over half an hour.
The chaotic but deadly gunfight began in the presence of ISWAP supreme leader, Amir Ba-Lawan. However, reports indicated he had to be whisked out of the fighting location by his bodyguards.
The newly appointed Governor of the Lake Chad Basin region, Amir Aliyu Chakkar, also narrowly escaped assassination. However, he was saved by his loyalist commanders, including Mohammed Maluma, Ali Hussaini and Ali Musak, all high-ranking ISWAP field Commanders staunchly loyal to him.
Sources say the bloodbath was triggered by bitter disapproval of the process and selection criteria employed in the appointment of Amir Aliyu Chakkar by the Shura.
Some ISWAP commanders were not happy with the little-known Amir Aliyu Chakkar to lead what has been described as the most powerful command and control position.
They envisage that by implications, he would control ISWAP operations in the entire fringes and countries of the Lake Chad Basin States; Cameroon, Nigeria, Niger, and the Chad Republic also expand into the Sahel region via the Niger Republic.
The opposing unit commanders fiercely argued that the appointment of Amir Aliyu Chakkar by the Shura Council was not based on merit, with some commanders pointing fingers on tribal affiliations, friendship and outright collusion pattern within the ISWAP leadership style.
The bitter rejection of Aliyu Chakkar as the new Governor by commanders of opposing units turned into a bitter brawl and an ensuing gunfight.
It will be recalled that the ISWAP Shura council had recently appointed Aliyu Chakkar as its new Governor of the Lake Chad region. The newly appointed “Governor” in his determined effort to consolidate his position, went to Koyowa. He was spotted en-route to see their supreme leader, Amir Ba-Lawan, the ISWAP leader at Koyowa, along with three of his trusted lieutenants; Mohammed Maluma, Ali Hussaini Ali Musak, all high-ranking ISWAP field Commanders.
Very reliable sources stated that while at Koyowa, the ISWAP Headquarters, Ba-Lawan handed over the Lake Chad region’s mantle of leadership to the new “Governor.”
On receiving his official appointment, Chakkar has sworn to consolidate on the command and control successes recorded by late Goni Maina. He promised to sustain previous plans of launching indiscriminate attacks in the coming months; presumably December 2020 and January/February of 2021 on unconfirmed military and civilian targets.
