President Bola Tinubu has announced the killing of a terrorist leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, during a joint operation carried out by Nigerian and United States forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
In a statement personally signed on Saturday, Tinubu said the operation marked “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism” between both countries.
However, in April, 2024, the Nigerian military high command, had released identities of some top terrorist commanders who were killed in the Northern region of the country during various operations across all the theatres between January and March 2024, according to Trust TV report.
Among those identified was Abu Bilal Minuki popularly known as Abubakar Mainok who was said to be the Head of Is-Al Furqan Province (ISGS and ISWAP) and another by the name Haruna Isiya Boderi.
Addressing journalists at Defence Headquarters in Abuja, the Director, of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, had explained that Mainok and Boderi were neutralised by troops alongside Kachallah Damina, another notorious terrorist on March 24, 2024.
The statement by President Tinubu announcing the killing said Nigerian troops, working with the US Armed Forces, carried out “a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.”
He added that “early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.”
Tinubu described the operation as a major step in advancing the security objectives of both countries and commended the forces involved for their conduct.
“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives. I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort,” the statement read.
The President also praised military personnel from both countries, saying, “I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation.”
The development comes amid renewed military offensives against insurgent groups operating in the North-East and the Lake Chad region, where Islamic State-linked factions have sustained attacks on military formations and civilian communities.
United States President Donald Trump had earlier confirmed the operation, describing Al-Minuki as “the most active terrorist in the world.”
“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.
Trump said the slain militant leader, whom he described as the “second in command of ISIS globally,” had believed he could evade capture in Africa.
“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” he said.
The US leader added that Al-Minuki, who was placed under American sanctions in 2023 over his ties to the Islamic State group, would “no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”
He further stated that “with his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” while thanking the Nigerian government for its “partnership” in the operation.
The joint operation underscores growing security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States as both countries intensify efforts to weaken extremist networks operating across the Lake Chad Basin and the wider West African region.
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