President Bola Tinubu has praised the joint military operation carried out by Nigerian and United States forces that reportedly led to the killing of senior ISIS commander Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki.
The President, while reacting to the development on Saturday, described the operation as a major breakthrough in the fight against terrorism and expressed hope for more coordinated strikes against terrorist groups operating across the country.
“I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort,” Tinubu said.
“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation.”
The operation was first announced by United States President Donald Trump through his Truth Social platform late Friday.
Trump described Al-Manuki as the global second-in-command of ISIS and said the operation was jointly executed by “brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
According to him, the mission successfully eliminated what he called “the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield.”
Trump stated that Al-Manuki had been hiding in Africa while coordinating terrorist operations linked to the Islamic State network.
“Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing,” Trump wrote.
He added that the ISIS commander “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”
The U.S. president further stated that the operation had dealt a significant blow to the global activities of the terrorist organisation.
“With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” Trump added while thanking the Nigerian government for its cooperation during the mission.
Reacting further, President Tinubu described the joint strike as a strong example of international collaboration against terrorism.
“Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State,” the President stated.
According to Tinubu, preliminary intelligence assessments confirmed that Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, was killed alongside several of his lieutenants during an airstrike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
The Defence Headquarters also confirmed the death of the terrorist leader in a separate statement issued on Saturday.
The military described Al-Manuki as a “wanted global terrorist” and said the operation represented a major success in ongoing efforts to dismantle extremist networks operating within the region.
