A senior commander, Ba’a Shuwa of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), has reportedly shown reluctance to take up a top leadership role allegedly offered him by the Islamic State's central leadership (ISIS) to replace the commander Abubakar Mainok, killed in the recent Nigeria-U.S. strike.
Security sources familiar with developments said the leadership crisis emerged after Mainok, also known as Abu Bilal al-Mainuki or Abbor Mainok, was reportedly killed during a joint counterterrorism operation involving Nigerian and U.S. forces, according to a counterterrorism expert, Zagazola Makama.
The operation is believed to have significantly disrupted ISWAP's command structure, particularly its operational and media networks, prompting ISIS leaders outside Africa to urgently seek a replacement capable of maintaining continuity within the group.
The sources reportedly said that ISIS central leadership quietly approached influential figures within ISWAP's hierarchy in the aftermath of Mainok's death, with Ba’a Shuwa identified as one of the leading candidates for a broader leadership position.
However, it was revealed that Ba’a Shuwa has not embraced the proposal.
