Nigeria’s Presidency and Defence Headquarters have moved to clear public confusion over the identity of ISIS commander Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, killed during a joint counter-terrorism operation conducted with the United States Africa Command on May 16, 2026.
The confusion arose after social media users circulated claims suggesting Al-Minuki had already been declared dead by the Nigerian military in 2024, raising questions over the true identity of the slain insurgent.
Responding, Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, explained that the use of similar or identical names, aliases, and nom de guerres is common among ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists across the North-East and Lake Chad Basin, forming part of their indoctrination strategy to conceal identities and complicate intelligence tracking.
The DHQ confirmed that the Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki eliminated in the latest operation was positively identified through human intelligence and technical surveillance as a senior global ISIS operative involved in international terrorist coordination, funding, and operations across the Sahel region. “There is therefore no ambiguity in his identity,” the Defence Headquarters stated.
The Presidency, through spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, explained that the 2024 listing was a case of mistaken identity, adding that the Birnin Gwari forest — location of the earlier operation — was never part of Al-Minuki’s established operational territory.
US President Trump thanked the Nigerian government for its cooperation, saying the operation had “greatly diminished” ISIS’s global capability. CNN
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