President Bola Tinubu has confirmed the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the global second-in-command of the Islamic State, in a joint operation by Nigerian and United States forces in the Lake Chad Basin.
The President said the operation, which took place overnight on 15 May, also killed several of al-Minuki’s lieutenants and dealt a “heavy blow” to ISIS ranks in Africa.
United States President Donald Trump announced the operation on Truth Social, describing it as a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” to eliminate “the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield”.
“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission,” Trump wrote. “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 added that al-Minuki “will no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans”.
In a statement signed by Bayo Onanuga, presidential spokesperson, Tinubu described the operation as a “significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism”.
“Overnight, Nigeria and the United States recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism,” the statement reads. “Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.”
Tinubu said early assessments confirmed the elimination of al-Minuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
“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,” Tinubu said.
The Nigerian president commended military personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, adding that he looks forward to “more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation”.
Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, was designated as a “specially designated global terrorist” by the Biden administration in 2023, according to the United States Federal Register.
The United States has deployed drones and 200 troops to Nigeria to provide training and intelligence support to the Nigerian military against Islamic State and al-Qaeda-linked insurgencies spreading across West Africa. The US forces operate in a strictly non-combat role, Nigerian military officials said earlier this year.
Earlier reports from Nigerian military sources in 2024 claimed al-Minuki had been killed during counter-terror operations. However, the latest announcement by Trump indicates US and Nigerian intelligence agencies later confirmed his identity and role through the separate 2026 operation.
Though al-Minuki was not considered part of ISIS’s original Iraq-Syria leadership circle, counter-terrorism experts viewed him as a significant architect of the group’s African expansion strategy, particularly through the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Trump’s praise for Nigerian cooperation in this operation marks a shift from his previous criticisms of the country. The US president had previously accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants. Nigeria denies discriminating against any religion, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.
The operation represents one of the most significant blows to ISIS leadership in Africa and underscores deepening security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in combating terrorism across the Sahel region.
