By Sabiu Abdullahi
The presidency has said reports circulated in 2024 about the death of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, were based on mistaken identity.
The clarification followed Saturday’s announcement by United States President Donald Trump that Al-Manuki had been killed during a joint military operation involving Nigerian and American troops. President Bola Tinubu also confirmed the operation.
After the announcement, several online users revisited claims that the insurgent leader had already been declared dead by the Nigerian military in 2024.
In response, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said security agencies explained that the earlier report connected to a military operation in Kaduna State was inaccurate.
According to Onanuga, Al-Manuki, who is also known as Abu-Mainok or Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, had appeared on a list of suspected ISWAP commanders reportedly killed during military operations around the Birnin Gwari forest area.
“It is acknowledged within military and intelligence circles that Al-Manuki’s name had appeared among lists of suspected ISWAP/Boko Haram commanders reportedly killed in 2024 during operations around the Birnin Gwari forest axis in Kaduna State,” the statement reads.
“However, security officials now clarify that the earlier listing was a case of mistaken identity or misattribution in the fog of sustained counterinsurgency operations.”
The presidential aide said intelligence findings later showed that Birnin Gwari was not part of Al-Manuki’s area of operation. He said that discovery raised questions about the earlier claim.
Onanuga also stated that the latest mission against the ISIS commander came after several months of intelligence work carried out by Nigerian and American operatives. He said the operation involved surveillance, phone interceptions, and human intelligence tracking.
He added that intelligence agencies began monitoring Al-Manuki in December 2025 and tracked his movements across different locations in northern Nigeria, including Abuja and Maiduguri.
“Security officials said efforts were initially aimed at capturing him alive before the final operation was carried out,” he said.
“Unlike the previous report, security authorities insist that the latest strike was executed with a significantly higher degree of precision, target validation, and multi-source intelligence confirmation.”
Onanuga said security agencies carried out several layers of verification before approving the final operation.
“In their assessment, ‘this time, there is no ambiguity,’” he said.
The presidential spokesperson also defended public communication about counterterrorism operations. He noted that similar mistaken reports had occurred in international campaigns against terrorism, including cases involving former Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau and ex-ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
“Such cases highlight not failure but rather the evolving, often imperfect nature of intelligence gathering in asymmetric warfare,” he added.
He warned that dismissing joint counterterrorism efforts involving Nigerian authorities and foreign partners could affect public confidence and military morale.
“While public scrutiny remains an essential part of democratic accountability, security experts caution that premature dismissal of military claims can inadvertently undermine operational morale and strategic messaging,” the presidential spokesperson said.
“For now, military authorities remain firm in their position: The latest operation that targeted Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki represents a validated, intelligence-driven success against a senior figure of the Islamic State network. And in their words, this time, they are “100 per cent certain.”
