Nigerians Question Tinubu, Trump Over ‘Dead Again’ Terrorist — Presidency Responds Furiously
By Passman Akpos
The Presidency has dismissed claims that Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, a top commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), had already been killed in a previous military operation, insisting that the latest joint Nigeria–United States strike was authentic and accurately executed.
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, made the clarification on Saturday following public controversy over the announcement by former U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the elimination of the terror leader.
The controversy began after reports resurfaced showing that Al-Manuki’s name had previously appeared among ISWAP commanders reportedly killed during military operations in 2024 around the Birnin Gwari forest axis in Kaduna State.
However, Onanuga explained that security agencies have now confirmed that the earlier listing was a case of mistaken identity and misattribution during intense counterinsurgency operations.
According to him, intelligence reviews later showed that the Birnin Gwari theatre was never part of Al-Manuki’s known operational base, making the earlier report inaccurate.
He stated that the latest strike followed months of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), backed by communications tracking and phone intercepts that reportedly started in December 2025.
Onanuga revealed that security agencies initially planned to capture the terrorist commander alive, leading to prolonged surveillance across several locations, including Abuja and Maiduguri, before the final strike was approved.
He stressed that multiple layers of verification were carried out before the final military action, making this operation different from previous incidents where battlefield assessments later required corrections
“There is no ambiguity this time. Officials are 100 per cent certain of the identity of the target,” Onanuga stated.
Earlier, Trump had announced on his Truth Social platform that Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, whom he described as ISIS’s second-in-command globally, had been eliminated in a carefully planned joint operation involving U.S. and Nigerian forces.
Trump described him as “the most active terrorist in the world,” stating that he had been hiding in Africa while coordinating terrorist activities linked to the Islamic State group.
“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 wrote.
Reacting to the development, President Bola Tinubu described the operation as a major success in the war against terrorism and a strong example of effective international military cooperation.
Tinubu said the Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the U.S. military, carried out a daring strike that dealt a heavy blow to ISIS operations in the Lake Chad Basin.
He confirmed that early assessments showed the elimination of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his key lieutenants during the attack on his compound.
The President also praised the partnership between Nigeria and the United States, describing it as crucial in advancing shared security objectives and strengthening the fight against terrorism across the region.
