Bola Ahmed Tinubu has confirmed the killing of a senior ISIS commander, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, during a joint counterterrorism operation carried out by Nigerian and United States forces.
In a statement personally signed and released on Saturday, May 16, the president said the operation was successfully conducted overnight in the Lake Chad Basin.
According to Tinubu, Nigerian troops working alongside US forces carried out a coordinated strike that dealt a significant blow to the Islamic State network.
“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,” the statement read.
The president praised the collaboration between Nigeria and the United States in tackling terrorism and strengthening regional security efforts.
Tinubu also expressed appreciation to Donald Trump for the support provided by the United States in the operation.
“I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort. I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” Tinubu stated.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump announced that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki — whom he described as ISIS’s second-in-command globally — had been killed in the operation. The US president said the mission, carried out by “brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria,” removed what he called “the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield.”
