The Presidency and DHQ clarify the identity of the neutralized terrorist commander Al-Minuki

The Presidency rejected what it described as unnecessary controversy over the alleged killing of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok or Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, was reportedly neutralized during a recent joint military operation involving Nigerian and US forces.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said this in a statement released on Saturday titled: “On the killing of ISWAP Commander Al-Manuki.”

According to him, the controversy surrounding the operation has highlighted the gap between public skeptics and the reality of modern counter-terrorism operations.

Onanuga noted that skeptics of the operation were quick to question the authenticity of the claims, but security sources insisted such reactions were premature, unjustified and not rooted in the entire operational context.

He acknowledged that Al-Manuki’s name had previously appeared among alleged ISWAP and Boko Haram commanders killed during operations around Birnin Gwari forest in Kaduna state in 2024.

Onanuga, however, stressed that security officials made it clear that the previous report was the result of mistaken identity or misattribution in the fog of ongoing counterinsurgency operations.

He said officials further explained that the Birnin Gwari theater was never within Al-Manuki’s established operational sphere, thus weakening the accuracy of the previous assessment.

Onanuga said intelligence authorities now possess a much higher level of confidence regarding the latest operation against the rebel commander.

According to intelligence sources, the operation followed prolonged intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts supported by communications monitoring and wiretaps dating back to December 2025.

“The intelligence lead, according to sources close to the mission, did not emerge overnight.

“Rather, it was built over months of persistent monitoring, digital surveillance and human intelligence input,” he said.

The presidential spokesperson said security officials revealed that authorities had initially focused on capturing Al-Manuki alive, explaining why he had reportedly been tracked to locations including Abuja and Maiduguri before the operation.

He said the coordinated effort reflected sustained pressure on the rebel leader as intelligence units carefully avoided revealing the operation prematurely.

The Presidency said that unlike previous reports, security authorities insisted that the latest attack involved a significantly higher level of precision, target validation and intelligence confirmation from multiple sources before the final operation was authorized.

Onanuga said officials maintained that several levels of verification were conducted before the attack, making the latest operation different from previous incidents that required subsequent reassessment on the battlefield.

“In their assessment, ‘this time, there is no ambiguity,’” Onanuga said, adding that intelligence authorities remained “100 percent certain” of the operation’s success.

The Presidency noted that counter-terrorism operations globally often face uncertainties because rebel groups operate under aliases, fragmented identities and in difficult terrain populated by civilians.

Onanuga said that while public scrutiny remains important in democratic societies, security experts have warned that prematurely ceasing military operations could undermine operational morale and ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.

Furthermore, the Defense Headquarters (DHQ) clarified concerns about the identity of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki.
This is contained in a statement released by the Director, Defense Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, Saturday in Abuja.

Uba said the clarification was necessary following media reports referring to a similar operation in 2024 involving a terrorist commander of the same name.

He explained that the use of identical names, aliases and nom de guerre is common among ISWAP and Boko Haram fighters, often as part of strategies to obscure identities.

According to him, the Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki eliminated on May 16, 2026 was positively identified through credible human intelligence information and technical surveillance.

He described the neutralized commander as a high-level global operative within the Islamic State network with direct links to international terrorist coordination, financing and operations across the Sahel.

“There is no ambiguity regarding the identity of the individual neutralized in the recent operation,” he said.

Uba noted that the operation marked a significant milestone in the ongoing counter-terrorism efforts by the Nigeria Armed Forces in collaboration with international partners.

He urged the public and media to rely on verified information from official sources to avoid confusion arising from name similarities.

The defense spokesperson reaffirmed the Nigeria Armed Forces’ commitment to dismantling terrorist networks and sustaining pressure on rebel groups across the region.