First Battle of Dikwa

First Battle of Dikwa
Part of Boko Haram insurgency
DateFebruary 17, 2015
Location
Near Dikwa, Borno State, Nigeria
Result

Chadian victory

Belligerents
Chad Boko Haram
Commanders and leaders
Brahim Seid Mahamat Unknown
Strength
2,500 Unknown
Casualties and losses
2 killed
9 injured		 117 killed

On February 17, 2015, Chadian troops seized a Boko Haram camp near Dikwa, Borno State, Nigeria, killing over 100 militants.

Background

Boko Haram emerged in 2009 as a jihadist social and political movement in a failed rebellion in northeast Nigeria.[1] Throughout the following years, Abubakar Shekau unified militant Islamist groups in the region and continued to foment the rebellion against the Nigerian government, conducting terrorist attacks and bombings in cities and communities across the region.[2]

On January 14, 2015, following a meeting between the Cameroonian Minister of Defense and Chadian President Idriss Déby, the Chadian government announced it would send troops to northern Cameroon to defend against Boko Haram attacks.[3] By January 28, Chadian soldiers had deployed to Fotokol, a border town separated from the Boko Haram-controlled Nigerian border town of Gamboru Ngala.[4] Chadian soldiers defended Cameroon in the battle of Bodo shortly after deployment, killing hundreds of Boko Haram fighters.[5] In late January, they then successfully recaptured Gamboru Ngala from Boko Haram, and Nigeria allowed the Chadian government to conduct operations in Nigeria.[6] About 2,500 Chadian soldiers were in Borno State prior to the battle.[7]

Battle

Clashes broke out between Chadian troops and Boko Haram on February 17 near Dikwa, on the road to Maiduguri from Gamboru Ngala.[7] The fighting lasted for two to three hours, and Chadian forces seized the Boko Haram camp.[8] The following day, Chadian Army Chief of Staff Brahim Seid Mahamat said that 117 jihadists were killed, along with two Chadian soldiers and nine soldiers wounded.[7][9]

The town of Dikwa was not attacked during the fighting, and remained in Boko Haram control.

Aftermath

The success of the Chadian soldiers allowed them to recoup and launch another attack on Dikwa, this time on the main town, on March 2.[10]

References

  1. ^ Walker, Andrew (2016-02-04). "Join us or die: the birth of Boko Haram". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  2. ^ "Nigeria unrest: 'Boko Haram' gunmen kill 44 at mosque". BBC News. 2013-08-12. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  3. ^ "Le Tchad propose un «soutien actif» au Cameroun contre Boko Haram". RFI (in French). 2015-01-14. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  4. ^ "Cameroun: trois soldats tchadiens, 123 islamistes tués lors d'attaques de Boko Haram". L'Orient-Le Jour (in French). 2015-01-31. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  5. ^ "Cameroun: trois soldats tchadiens, 123 islamistes tués lors d'attaques de Boko Haram". L'Orient-Le Jour (in French). 2015-01-31. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  6. ^ "Wikiwix Archives". archive.wikiwix.com. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  7. ^ a b c "L'armée tchadienne tue 117 islamistes au Nigeria". Liberation. February 18, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
  8. ^ "Afrique - Info France 24 : Boko Haram attaque l'armée tchadienne au Nigeria". France 24 (in French). Archived from the original on 2015-02-21. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  9. ^ FRANCE 24 (2015-02-20). Exclusif : l'armée tchadienne confiante face à Boko Haram après la bataille de Dikwa. Retrieved 2026-05-31 – via YouTube.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "Nigeria: l'armée tchadienne a repris Dikwa aux mains de Boko Haram". RFI (in French). 2015-03-02. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
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