Defence Headquarters Clarifies on Recent Reports Regarding the Elimination of Terrorist Commander Abu-bilal Al-minuki

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

The Defence Headquarters has clarified on the report of the elimination of a high-profile terrorist commander, Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, during a joint operation with the United States Africa Command on 16 May, 2026. That Al-Minuki has been positively identified as a senior global operative of Islamic State Network.

In a statement, the Director Defence information major General Samaila Uba says, some media reports in 2024 have reported the elimination of a terrorist commander bearing the same name, stressing that it is important to state that, within the North East region and across the Lake Chad Basin, the use of similar or identical names is common among ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists.

This is essentially part of their indoctrination program which is aimed at deliberately obscuring identities, noting this fact has been established over the years in the course of counter terrorism operations in the Northeast of Nigeria.

The Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki eliminated on 16 May, 2026 has been positively identified through human intelligence and technical surveillance as a senior global operative within the Islamic State network, with direct links to international terrorist coordination, funding and operations across the Sahel.