The Defence Headquarters has clarified reports surrounding the recent killing of a terrorist commander identified as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki during a joint counterterrorism operation involving Nigerian forces and the United States Africa Command.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the clarification became necessary following public discussions triggered by media reports referencing a similar operation in 2024 involving a terrorist commander bearing the same name.
According to the DHQ, the use of identical names, aliases, and nom de guerres is common among fighters affiliated with Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram operating within the North East and the Lake Chad Basin region.
The military explained that the practice forms part of the insurgents’ indoctrination system aimed at concealing identities and complicating intelligence tracking.
The statement stressed that the Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki neutralised on May 16, 2026, had been positively identified through human intelligence and technical surveillance as a senior global operative within the Islamic State network.
According to the DHQ, the terrorist commander maintained direct links to international extremist coordination, financing, and operational activities across the Sahel region.
The military described the operation as a major achievement in ongoing counterterrorism efforts and reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and its international partners to dismantling terrorist networks.
The Defence Headquarters also urged members of the public and the media to rely on verified information released through official channels to avoid confusion arising from similarities in names used by terrorist operatives.
