President Bola Tinubu says Nigerian and United States forces have killed a senior Islamic State commander, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, during a joint military operation in the Lake Chad Basin.
In a statement personally signed, the Nigerian leader described the operation as “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism” between both countries.
Tinubu said Nigerian troops, working alongside the US Armed Forces, carried out “a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State”.
According to the president, preliminary intelligence reports confirmed that the wanted militant leader and several of his lieutenants were killed during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad region.
“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 statement said.
Tinubu praised the military personnel involved, commending what he described as their professionalism and courage during 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 added.
The president also vowed to sustain pressure on insurgent groups operating across Nigeria’s North-East and the wider Lake Chad region.
“I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” he said.
The announcement comes amid intensified military offensives against Islamic State-linked factions and other insurgent groups blamed for repeated attacks on military bases and civilian communities in the North-East.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump confirmed the operation in a post on Truth Social, describing Al-Manuki 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.
The US president claimed the militant leader served as the “second in command of ISIS globally” and had attempted to evade capture by operating from 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 added.
Trump said the militant had been under US sanctions for the past three years over alleged links to the Islamic State group.
“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” he said, while also thanking the Nigerian government for its cooperation.
Security analysts say the operation highlights growing military and intelligence cooperation between Nigeria and the United States as both countries seek to weaken extremist networks across the Lake Chad Basin and West Africa.
