By Enyichukwu Enemanna
US President Donald Trump says the duo of American and Nigerian forces have neutralised the “second in command of ISIS globally” in a military operation in Africa.
Writing on his Truth Social, Trump said the joint mission was “flawlessly executed… to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world”, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki.
Al‑Minuki was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by Washington in 2023.
Al-Minuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al‑Mainuki, commanded IS‑linked cells across Africa, particularly the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which has entrenched itself in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel, with cross‑border links into Niger, Chad, and Mali.
Trump’s message did not provide further details of the operation or the timeline of the joint mission.
He describes Al-Minuki’s death as a major blow to IS’s African and global networks, disrupting funding channels and command structures.
The US leader thanked the Nigerian government for their “partnership”, adding that Al-Minuki “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans”.
Nigeria and the US have increased military cooperation as the West African nation ramps up efforts to fight extremist violence.
In April, IS claimed responsibility after gunmen killed at least 29 people at a football pitch in Nigeria’s north-eastern Adamawa state.
Last Christmas, US and Nigeria carried out a joint airstrike in Nigeria’s North West State of Sokoto, targeting IS-linked groups.
