Nigeria, US Forces Take Down ISIS Leader Al-Manuki Tied to Mass Killings, Abductions

By Emmanuel Kwada 

Nigerian and United States forces have successfully neutralised a senior ISIS commander, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, in a joint counterterrorism operation in the Lake Chad Basin, dealing a significant blow to the terrorist network’s operations in West Africa.

The Defence Headquarters described the operation as a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against terrorism. In a statement, the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, said the strike has substantially disrupted ISIS activities across Nigeria, the Lake Chad region, the Sahel, and beyond.

File photo: Leah Sharibu: Jihadists have enslaved this Christian girl who refused to convert to Islam.

Military intelligence identified al-Minuki as a high-ranking figure in the global ISIS hierarchy. He was elevated in February 2026 to Head of the General Directorate of States, positioning him as the second most senior leader in the organisation.

Prior to that, he served as the Nigeria-based Emir of the al-Furqan GDP Office, where he coordinated ISIS-linked activities across West Africa and the Sahel.

Authorities linked al-Minuki directly to the planning and execution of numerous violent attacks, including the targeted killings of civilians in Christian communities by ISWAP and Boko Haram factions in northeastern Nigeria.

Al-Minuki arrived in the Lake Chad Basin with nearly 60 foreign fighters dispatched to bolster ISWAP’s operational structure.

He was also involved in ISIS media operations, economic warfare, and efforts to develop advanced weapons, explosives, and drones for use by affiliated groups.

According to security sources, al-Minuki arrived in the Lake Chad Basin with nearly 60 foreign fighters dispatched to bolster ISWAP’s operational structure and battlefield capabilities.

Many of these operatives brought combat experience from the Middle East and other jihadist theatres, contributing to a more sophisticated phase of insurgent warfare in Nigeria.

Their presence aligned with noticeable shifts in ISWAP tactics, including increased night assaults on military formations, coordinated raids by mobile attack teams, the deployment of armed drones for surveillance and strikes, more sophisticated use of improvised explosive devices, renewed suicide bombing campaigns, and enhanced battlefield communication and logistics.

File photo: ISWAP terrorists celebrating around the Lake Chad Basin

These developments marked a departure from earlier patterns of largely localised and predictable attacks in the North-East.

Security analyst Zagazola, a counterterrorism expert focused on the Lake Chad region, noted that ISWAP began adopting tactics reminiscent of ISIS operations in Iraq and Syria, such as surprise night attacks designed to overwhelm isolated positions before reinforcements could arrive.

Zagazola described al-Minuki as central to this transformation, with responsibilities extending beyond battlefield command to include coordinating international funding channels, strategic communications, training support, and doctrinal guidance between ISIS central leadership and ISWAP factions.

Al-Minuki’s activities have been connected to several high-profile atrocities against civilian populations, particularly Christian communities.

These include the 2018 abduction of schoolgirls from the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, where 110 to 111 girls were taken.

Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, where 110 to 111 girls were taken. 

Most were later released, but Leah Sharibu, a Christian student, remains in captivity after more than eight years, reportedly because she refused to convert to Islam. Five girls were killed during that operation.

Subsequent attacks attributed to these networks include coordinated raids in December 2025 on Higa, Mondag, and Timboa villages in Adamawa State that killed between 15 and 32 Christians, burned over 200 homes and several churches, and involved looting and ultimatums issued to residents.

In May 2025, 23 Christian farmers and fishermen were killed and 18 others abducted in Malam Karanti village, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Similar incidents occurred in April 2025 in Banga, Lareh, and Kubako villages in Adamawa, where at least 12 to 14 Christians were killed and churches and homes destroyed.

Further attacks in February and March 2026 in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa claimed around 25 Christian lives while targeting farming villages, churches, and homes.

The Defence Headquarters stated that al-Minuki’s elimination removes a critical node through which ISIS coordinated and directed operations across different regions.

The joint operation highlights deepening military cooperation between Nigeria and the United States. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commended the effort and expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump for the strong partnership in combating terrorism in the region.

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