(SINL NIGERIA) The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified concerns surrounding the recent neutralisation of a senior terrorist commander, Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, during a joint operation conducted by Nigerian troops and the United States Africa Command on May 16, 2026.
In a statement on Saturday by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the DHQ explained that public confusion arose after some media reports referenced a similar operation in 2024 involving a terrorist commander bearing the same name.
According to the DHQ, the use of identical names, aliases and nom de guerres is common among ISWAP and Boko Haram fighters operating across the North East and the Lake Chad Basin.
Specifically, it noted that the practice forms part of the terrorists’ indoctrination strategy aimed at concealing identities and complicating intelligence tracking.
The statement stressed that the Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki eliminated in the latest operation was “positively identified through human intelligence and technical surveillance” as a senior global operative within the Islamic State network.
The DHQ further disclosed that the terrorist commander had direct links to international terrorist coordination, funding and operations across the Sahel region, insisting that there was “no ambiguity” regarding his identity.
It described the successful strike as a major milestone in ongoing counter-terrorism operations and reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and its international partners to dismantling terrorist networks.
Meanwhile, the military urged the public and media organisations to rely only on verified information released through official channels to avoid confusion arising from similarities in terrorist aliases.
