President Bola Tinubu has hailed the successful joint military operation between Nigeria and the United States which led to the elimination of a senior Islamic State commander in the Lake Chad Basin.
President Tinubu made this known in a post on his verified X handle, @officialABAT, following the announcement of the operation by United States President, Donald Trump.
According to the President, Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, carried out the overnight strike on the compound of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok.
He disclosed that preliminary assessments confirmed the killing of the wanted Islamic State leader alongside several of his lieutenants during the coordinated operation in the Lake Chad Basin.
President Tinubu described the mission as a strong example of effective collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in advancing shared security objectives and combating terrorism within the region.
He commended the professionalism, bravery and commitment of the military personnel involved in the operation, noting that the strike dealt a significant blow to terrorist elements operating around the Lake Chad region.
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The President also expressed appreciation to Donald Trump for his leadership and support in strengthening security cooperation between both countries.
Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining military offensives against terrorist enclaves across the country while deepening international partnerships aimed at restoring peace and stability in affected communities.
Meanwhile, U.S President Donald Trump says that American and Nigerian forces have killed the “second in command of ISIS globally” in a military operation in Africa.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said the joint mission was “flawlessly executed… to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world”, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki
Al ‑Minuki was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by Washington in 2023.
The Nigerian military has not yet commented on the raid. If confirmed, his killing could mark another significant setback for Islamic State group (IS) following the killing of its leader Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi in 2019.
Al-Minuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al‑Mainuki, directed IS‑linked cells across Africa, particularly the Islamic State West Africa Province, which has entrenched itself in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel, with cross‑border links into Niger, Chad, and Mali.
Trump’s message did not provide further details of the operation or the timeline of the joint mission.
Trump describes his death as a major blow to IS’s African and global networks, disrupting funding channels and command structures.
The U.S president thanked the Nigerian government for their “partnership”, adding that Minuki “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans”.
Nigeria and the U.S have increased military cooperation as the country ramps up efforts to fight extremist violence.
In April, IS claimed responsibility after gunmen killed at least 29 people at a football pitch in Nigeria’s north-eastern Adamawa state.
Last Christmas, U.S and Nigeria carried out a joint airstrike in Nigeria’s Sokoto state targeting IS-linked groups.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
