President Bola Tinubu said on Saturday that Nigerian and U.S. forces killed a senior Islamic State leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, in a joint operation in the Lake Chad Basin.
In a statement he personally signed, Tinubu described the operation as “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism” between both countries.
He said Nigerian troops, working alongside the U.S. Armed Forces, carried out “a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.”
“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.
The president praised the operation as a major step in advancing shared security goals and commended the forces involved.
“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives,” he said. “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,” he added.
The operation comes amid renewed military offensives against insurgent groups in the North-East and Lake Chad region, where Islamic State-linked factions have continued attacks on military and civilian targets.
U.S. President Donald Trump also confirmed the operation, describing Al-Manuki as “the most active terrorist in the world.”
“Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump said the militant leader, whom he described as the “second in command of ISIS globally,” believed he could evade capture in Africa.
“Abu-Bilal al-Manuki, 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,” he said.
He added that Al-Manuki, who was placed under U.S. sanctions in 2023, would “no longer terrorize the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans.”
Trump said the militant’s death had “greatly diminished” ISIS’s global operations and thanked Nigeria for its partnership in the mission.
The joint operation highlights growing security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in efforts to disrupt extremist networks operating across the Lake Chad Basin and West Africa.
