Fresh confusion has emerged over the reported killing of senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Abu Bilal Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, following conflicting announcements by Nigerian authorities and international leaders.
The Nigerian military had previously declared Minuki dead in 2024, listing him among top IS-affiliated commanders neutralised during coordinated operations across the North.
The announcement, made by then-Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, claimed Minuki was eliminated on February 21, 2024, along the Birnin Gwari forest axis and Abuja–Kaduna highway.
At the time, the military also reported the killing of other senior insurgents, the arrest of over 2,300 suspects, and the rescue of 1,241 hostages.
However, on Friday, both Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and former US President Donald Trump announced that Minuki had been killed again in a joint military operation in the Lake Chad Basin.
President Tinubu described the operation as a “daring joint strike” against a terrorist enclave, confirming that Minuki and several of his lieutenants were eliminated.
Trump, who confirmed the operation on his Truth Social platform, described Minuki as “the most active terrorist in the world” and “second in command of ISIS globally,” adding that his removal would significantly weaken the group’s global operations.
The repeated announcements have raised questions about the accuracy of battlefield intelligence, the possible use of aliases by insurgent commanders, and the tracking of high-value targets in the region.
President Tinubu praised Nigerian troops and US forces for their professionalism and expressed optimism that similar operations would continue to dismantle terrorist networks across the country.
The development comes amid ongoing concerns over security in the Lake Chad Basin, where ISWAP and other insurgent groups have maintained a persistent presence, frequently launching attacks on civilians and military personnel.
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