Confusion over dead ISIS leader resolved – Military

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has responded to confusion about the identity of a terrorist commander known as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, who was recently killed in a joint operation involving Nigerian and American forces.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the most active terrorist leader had been killed. President Bola Tinubu also confirmed the operation and welcomed stronger cooperation with the United States.

However, questions arose because the Nigerian Defence Headquarters had earlier reported in 2024 that a person with the same name had already been killed in an earlier operation.

A military spokesperson explained that this confusion happens because terrorist groups often use the same or similar names. According to him, fighters in ISWAP and Boko Haram frequently adopt aliases to hide their real identities and make tracking them difficult.

The DHQ said the Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki killed in 2026 was positively identified using reliable human intelligence and technical surveillance. They insisted there is no mistake about his identity.

They also described him as a high-ranking terrorist involved in international operations, funding, and coordination across the Sahel region.

The military urged the public and media to rely only on official information to avoid confusion caused by similar names used by terrorists.

The Defence Headquarters also reaffirmed its commitment to continuing operations against terrorist groups in Nigeria and the wider region.