President Bola Tinubu has verified the elimination of a prominent Islamic State figure, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also referred to as Abu-Mainok, during a collaborative counterterrorism operation conducted by Nigerian and United States soldiers in the Lake Chad Basin.
In a statement released from the State House on Saturday, Tinubu characterised the nighttime operation as a “notable instance of effective collaboration” between the two nations in the battle against terrorism.
He stated, “Counterterrorism operation targeting ISIS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuk.”
“In a single night, Nigeria and the United States demonstrated a notable instance of successful cooperation in combating terrorism.
The resolute Nigerian Armed Forces, in collaboration with the United States Armed Forces, executed a bold combined operation that significantly weakened the Islamic State.
“Preliminary evaluations validate the removal of the sought-after IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, alias Abu-Mainok, alongside multiple lieutenants, during an assault on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.”
Nigeria values its collaboration with the United States in furthering our mutual security goals. I express my profound appreciation to President Trump for his leadership and steadfast support in this endeavour.
“I commend the personnel on both sides for their professionalism and bravery, and I anticipate further decisive actions against all terrorist strongholds nationwide,” he stated.
reported that United States President Donald Trump announced a joint military operation conducted by American forces and the Nigerian Armed Forces, which resulted in the death of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, recognised as the second-in-command of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) globally.
In a statement on his Truth Social account on Saturday, Trump asserted that the operation resulted from comprehensive intelligence collection and strategic cooperation to monitor the movements of the terrorist leader in Africa.