Nigeria and the U.S. have killed ISIS’s second-in-command, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, in a joint counterterrorism strike in the Lake Chad Basin, marking a major blow to the group’s global operations and a reset in Abuja-Washington security ties.
The operation, executed by the Armed Forces of Nigeria with U.S. support, eliminated al-Minuki and several lieutenants. Officials said the mission dismantled a key node coordinating ISIS media, weapons, drone production, and economic warfare across West Africa, the Sahel, and beyond.
President Bola Tinubu called the raid “a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.” He said in a statement by Bayo Onanuga the presidential spokesperson on Saturday, that the strike showed Nigeria’s resolve to protect civilians and deny extremists safe haven.
“Several lieutenants of the ISIS second-in-command were killed in the mission,” Tinubu stated, adding that the daring operation dealt “a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.” He expects more “decisive strikes” against all terror enclaves in the country.
“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives,” Tinubu said, thanking Washington for its support in dismantling terrorist infrastructure in the region.
Persecondnews reports that Intelligence linked al-Minuki to ISIS-West Africa and the 2018 Dapchi kidnapping of over 100 schoolgirls. He reportedly rose to Head of the General Directorate of States in February 2026, making him ISIS’s second-most senior leader globally.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the killing, describing it as a “meticulously planned and very complex” mission involving Nigerian and American troops. He credited the strike for weakening ISIS worldwide.
“The most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield,” Trump said of al-Minuki, calling his elimination a decisive hit to the group’s operational capacity.
“Thank you to the Government of Nigeria for your partnership on this operation,” Trump wrote, praising Abuja’s role in the success.
The Defence Headquarters hailed the gallantry of personnel involved and stressed that Nigeria remains committed to ongoing operations to secure the Lake Chad Basin and wider region.
Al-Minuki, once a Boko Haram leader, had coordinated fighter movements to Libya and served as al-Furqan GDP Office Emir in 2023 before pledging allegiance to ISIS.
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