The Nigerian Presidency has clarified that last year’s report claiming the killing of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, a senior ISIS commander, was a case of mistaken identity.
In a statement on Saturday, May 16, 2026, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said security officials confirmed the earlier 2024 announcement was due to “mistaken identity or misattribution.”
Al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Mainok or Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, had been listed among suspected ISWAP commanders reportedly killed during military operations around the Birnin Gwari forest axis in Kaduna State in 2024.
However, further intelligence revealed that Birnin Gwari was not part of his operational territory.
Onanuga noted that the latest joint US-Nigerian operation, which resulted in the confirmed death of Al-Minuki, was backed by months of intensive intelligence gathering, including surveillance, phone interceptions, and human intelligence.
Intelligence tracking of the ISIS leader began in December 2025, covering his movements across parts of northern Nigeria, including areas near Abuja and Maiduguri.
“Efforts were initially aimed at capturing him alive before the final operation was carried out,” the statement said.
Unlike the previous report, this operation was executed with a significantly higher degree of precision and multi-source intelligence confirmation.
President Bola Tinubu had earlier confirmed the success of the joint operation following an announcement by US President Donald Trump.
Onanuga defended the public announcement of such operations, noting that mistaken reports of high-profile militant deaths have occurred globally in the past, citing examples involving Abubakar Shekau and former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
He cautioned that premature dismissal of verified military successes could undermine operational morale and public confidence in ongoing counterterrorism efforts. Security officials, according to him, are “100 per cent certain” of the latest outcome.
The development comes amid renewed focus on counterinsurgency operations against ISIS and ISWAP affiliates in Nigeria.
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