President Bola Tinubu on Saturday said Nigerian and U.S. forces killed a senior Islamic State commander, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, during a joint operation in the Lake Chad Basin.
He described the strike as a major success in counterterrorism cooperation between both countries.
Tinubu in a statement said the operation dealt “a heavy blow” to Islamic State ranks and demonstrated effective collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in tackling terrorism.
According to him, Nigerian troops working alongside U.S. Armed Forces carried out “a daring joint operation” targeting Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, and several of his lieutenants.“Early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin,” Tinubu said.
He described the operation as a significant step toward advancing the security objectives of both countries and praised the military personnel involved for their professionalism and courage.
“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,” the statement said.
Tinubu added that he looked forward to “more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation.”
U.S. President Donald Trump had earlier announced the operation on Friday, saying American and Nigerian forces had executed a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” to eliminate what he described as “the most active terrorist in the world.”
Trump said Al-Manuki, whom he called the “second in command of ISIS globally,” believed he could evade capture in Africa.
“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 on Truth Social.
The U.S. leader said the militant commander, sanctioned by Washington in 2023 over links to Islamic State, would “no longer terrorise the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”
He added that the militant group’s global operations had been weakened by the killing and thanked Nigeria for its cooperation.
CliqMetro reports that the operation comes amid intensified offensives against insurgent groups in Nigeria’s northeast and the wider Lake Chad region, where Islamic State-linked factions have continued attacks on military positions and civilian communities.