PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has confirmed that Nigerian and United States forces carried out a joint counterterrorism operation that killed a senior Islamic State commander, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, in the Lake Chad Basin.
Tinubu announced the development in a statement on Sunday, May 16, describing the operation as a major success in the fight against terrorism.
“Overnight, Nigeria and the United States recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism,” the president said.
He added, “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.”
According to Tinubu, early assessments confirmed the elimination of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, alongside several of his lieutenants during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
The confirmation followed an earlier announcement by the US President Donald Trump, who disclosed on his Truth Social handle that American and Nigerian forces jointly executed a “meticulously planned and very complex mission” targeting the ISIS leader.
Trump described Al-Manuki as the “second in command of ISIS globally,” saying his death would significantly weaken the terror group’s international operations.
Reacting to the operation, Tinubu thanked Trump for what he described as his “leadership and unwavering support” in advancing shared security objectives between both countries.
“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives. I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort,” he stated.
The Nigerian leader also commended military personnel from both countries involved in the operation.
The ICIR reports that the latest operation shows the growing security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States amid escalating extremist violence across West Africa and the Sahel region.
Earlier this week, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, met in Washington with US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to strengthen bilateral counterterrorism collaboration.
Nigeria has battled Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) for over a decade, particularly in the North-East and the Lake Chad region, where insurgent groups continue to launch attacks on civilians and security forces.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M