Falana’s reaction follows widespread confusion surrounding the reported killing of Abu Bilal Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, after Nigerian authorities had publicly announced his death in 2024, only for Trump and Tinubu to announce his killing again in a fresh joint operation in 2026.
Renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for relying on claims made by United States President Donald Trump regarding the killing of a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, despite the Nigerian military having earlier declared the same terrorist dead in 2024.
Falana, in a statement on Saturday titled “President Tinubu Should Stop Relying On President Trump’s False Claims On The Prosecution Of The Counter Insurgency Operations In Nigeria,” urged Tinubu to obtain accurate operational briefings directly from the Defence Headquarters instead of depending on foreign claims.
“Our attention has been drawn to President Bola Tinubu's confirmation of President Donald Trump's claim that the Abu-Bilal al-Minuki has just been killed,” Falana stated.
“As the commander of the armed forces of Nigeria, President Tinubu should contact the Defence Headquarters on the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and other terrorists instead of relying on President Donald Trump's erroneous claims on the prosecution of the counter insurgency operations in Nigeria,” he added.
