President Bola Tinubu has confirmed that Nigerian and United States forces carried out a joint counterterrorism operation that led to the killing of a senior Islamic State commander (ISIS) in the Lake Chad Basin.
The operation, announced late Friday night, targeted Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, a top ISIS figure believed to be one of the group’s most influential leaders operating in Africa.
Tinubu described the operation as “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism,” saying Nigerian troops worked closely with the United States Armed Forces during the mission.
READ ALSO
“Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” the President said in a statement personally signed on Saturday.
“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.”
The announcement came hours after United States President Donald Trump publicly disclosed the operation on his Truth Social platform, describing the mission as “meticulously planned” and “very complex.”
Trump identified Al-Manuki as the “second in command of ISIS globally” and one of the world’s most active terrorist leaders.
“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.
He added that the ISIS commander believed he could evade capture by hiding 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,” Trump stated.
The US president said the militant leader, who was placed under American sanctions in 2023 over his ties to ISIS, would “no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”
Tinubu thanked the United States government for its support and praised the military personnel involved in the operation.
“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.
“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 intensified military offensives against insurgent groups in Nigeria’s North-East and the wider Lake Chad region, where Islamic State-linked factions and Boko Haram remnants continue to launch attacks on communities and security formations.
Security analysts believe the killing of Al-Manuki could weaken ISIS operations in the region, though concerns remain about possible retaliatory attacks and regrouping efforts by extremist cells operating across the Lake Chad corridor.
