President Bola Tinubu has confirmed that Nigerian and United States forces killed senior Islamic State commander Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, in a joint counterterrorism strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
The Presidency said in a statement on Saturday that the operation, conducted overnight, also led to the killing of several of Al-Manuki’s lieutenants in what it described as a significant blow to the global operations of the Islamic State.
“Overnight, Nigeria and the United States recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism. Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” Tinubu said.
According to the President, early operational assessments confirmed the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader. “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,” he said.
Tinubu, who described the development as a reflection of deepening security cooperation between Abuja and Washington, expressed appreciation to U.S. President Donald Trump for his support, saying Nigeria valued the partnership in advancing shared security objectives.
Al-Manuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki, was designated a global terrorist by the U.S. State Department in 2023 for his role in ISIS operations across the Sahel region.
He served as a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province and oversaw operations linked to the Lake Chad division under ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces.
The President commended the troops on both sides for their professionalism and courage and called for sustained pressure on remaining terrorist enclaves. “I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation,” he said.
