The Presidency has dismissed reports suggesting that Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, a senior ISWAP commander recently said to have been killed in a Nigeria–US joint operation, had previously died in an earlier strike in 2024, describing such claims as a case of mistaken identity.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said initial reports linking Al-Manuki to a 2024 operation in the Birnin Gwari axis were incorrect. According to him, security officials have now clarified the error, stating:
“Security officials now clarify that the earlier listing was a case of mistaken identity or misattribution in the fog of sustained counterinsurgency operations.”
He added that the Birnin Gwari area was not actually part of the commander’s known operational zone, which further invalidated earlier assessments.
Onanuga also explained that the latest operation was based on months of intelligence gathering, surveillance, and intercepted communications stretching back to late 2025. He said authorities initially intended to capture the suspect and monitored his movements across locations including Abuja and Maiduguri before carrying out the final strike.
He further stated that:
“Officials maintain that multiple layers of verification were applied before authorisation of the final kinetic action, making this operation distinct from earlier incidents in which battlefield assessments later required revision.”
According to him, officials are fully confident this time about the outcome, “In their assessment, ‘this time, there is no ambiguity”
“He added that authorities were “100 per cent certain” of the target’s identity this time.”
The announcement follows US President Donald Trump’s claim that American and Nigerian forces jointly carried out a precision strike that eliminated a top ISIS figure described as one of the world’s most active terrorists. US defence officials said the target played a major role in ISIS operations across the Sahel, including planning attacks and managing logistics.
The Presidency urged the public to be cautious about drawing parallels with past incidents where terrorist deaths were later disputed, stressing that improved intelligence methods now support the current confirmation.
