The killing of a senior Islamic State 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, brings a sign of relief to President Bola Tinubu.
The president, who personally signed a statement on Saturday, said the operation marked “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism” between both countries.
He said that 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,” he said.
Tinubu praised the 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 noted 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.
Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, the Nigeria-born ISIS commander, has become the focus of international attention following reports of his death during a joint counterterrorism operation involving American and Nigerian forces.
Trump had announced on Friday that al-Minuki was killed in what he described as a carefully coordinated mission carried out by U.S. forces alongside the Armed Forces of Nigeria. Although the exact location of the operation was not disclosed, the American president said the ISIS leader had been hiding somewhere in Africa before intelligence operatives tracked him down.
Publicly available U.S. sanctions records identify him as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Mainuki, while Abu Bilal al-Minuki was listed among his known aliases.
According to records from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), he was born in 1982 in Mainok, near Benisheikh in Borno State — an area long associated with insurgency activities involving Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
His background is significant because Borno State has remained the epicentre of Nigeria’s insurgency for more than a decade and has produced several influential jihadist commanders.
The U.S. State Department officially designated al-Minuki as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in June 2023.
The designation placed him under American counterterrorism sanctions, blocked any assets linked to him within U.S. jurisdiction, and prohibited Americans from engaging in transactions connected to him.
The Federal Register notice published on June 16, 2023, identified him as a key member of ISIS-linked operations in West Africa.
Security analysts believe al-Minuki gained prominence within ISWAP after the death of senior extremist figure Mamman Nur in 2018.
Reports by international media, including the Associated Press, described him as deeply involved in ISIS financial operations, recruitment coordination, and strategic planning across parts of West Africa.
His rise highlighted the growing relationship between local extremist networks in Nigeria and the wider global ISIS structure.
Trump described al-Minuki as one of the world’s most dangerous ISIS leaders and claimed his elimination would significantly weaken the terror group’s international operations.
The U.S. president said the militant would no longer “terrorize the people of Africa” or support plots against American interests.
The killing ranks among the most significant counterterrorism operations involving Nigerian territory in recent years.
There has been some confusion over the spelling of his name in various reports. While many reports referred to him as Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, U.S. sanctions documents identified him as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Ali al-Mainuki, with Abu Bilal al-Minuki listed as an alias.
Counterterrorism experts say variations in transliteration are common with Arabic and jihadist names.
Although ISIS lost much of its territory in Iraq and Syria years ago, the group has continued expanding its influence through regional affiliates, especially in Africa.
ISWAP remains one of the deadliest extremist groups operating in the Lake Chad region, carrying out attacks in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
Security experts believe the death of a figure like al-Minuki underscores how deeply global jihadist networks remain connected to local insurgencies in Nigeria.
