Nigerian and US forces have killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of Islamic State armed group (ISIS) globally, in a joint operation, the two countries' leaders have confirmed. It marks the second time in recent months that US President Donald Trump has ordered its military to intervene in Nigeria, where he has repeatedly alleged that Christians are being persecuted.
Issued on: 16/05/2026 - 09:45
2 min Reading time
Nigeria's Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the west African country's military on Saturday confirmed the killing in Nigeria of al-Minuki in a joint operation with US forces. "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 in a statement after US President Donald Trump first announced the killing. Tinubu said Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, had been taken down on Friday "along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin" and described the operation as a "significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism". Trump announced the killing late Friday. "Tonight, at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield," he wrote on his Truth Social platform. "Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing." Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, was designated as a "specially designated global terrorist" by the former Biden administration in 2023, according to the US Federal Register. Nigerian defence forces said he was a "senior ISIS leader and one of the world's most active terrorists". Nigeria's security ‘has never been worse’ as coup trial opens Second joint operation Tinubu thanked Trump "for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort" and said he looked forward "to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation". The US had carried out strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants on 25 December in Sokoto State in the country's north-west, targeting what Washington described as IS-affiliated jihadists. Since then, Washington has deployed drones and 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the Nigerian military against Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked insurgencies that are spreading across West Africa. The US forces were operating in a strictly non-combat role, Nigerian military officials said earlier this year. Nigeria has been battling multiple armed groups, including at least two affiliated with Islamic State, as it has grappled with a multifaceted security crisis. Trump has previously accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants in the northwest. Nigeria denies discriminating against any religion, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims. Nigerians push back on Trump’s military threat over Christian killings (with newswires)
