Presidency Dismisses Doubts Over Killing Of ISWAP Leader Abu-Mainok

The Presidency, on Saturday, dismissed doubts surrounding the reported killing of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok or Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, described as a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

In a statement titled “On The Killing of ISWAP Commander Al-Manuki,” the Presidency said criticisms trailing the reported elimination of the insurgent leader were premature and not grounded in the realities of modern counterterrorism operations.

The statement, signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said sceptics had rushed to question the authenticity of the Nigerian-American joint military operation that reportedly neutralised the ISWAP commander.

“The needless controversy trailing the reported elimination of Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki… has once again exposed the gulf between the public sceptics and the realities of modern counterterrorism operations,” the statement said.

According to the Presidency, intelligence and military authorities have expressed a high level of confidence in the latest operation, insisting that the strike was backed by prolonged Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) efforts, communications monitoring and phone intercepts dating back to December 2025.

The Presidency, however, acknowledged that Al-Manuki’s name had previously appeared among lists of suspected ISWAP and Boko Haram commanders reportedly killed in 2024 during operations around the Birnin Gwari forest axis in Kaduna State.

It explained that the earlier report was a case of mistaken identity or misattribution during sustained counterinsurgency operations.

“Importantly, intelligence now confirms that the Birnin Gwari theatre was never within Al-Manuki’s established operational sphere, which negates the accuracy of the earlier assessment,” the statement added.

The Presidency further disclosed that security agencies initially attempted to capture the insurgent leader alive rather than eliminate him.

It noted that he was reportedly under surveillance in multiple locations, including Abuja and Maiduguri, days before the final operation.

“The coordinated effort suggests that the target had been under sustained pressure, with intelligence units attempting to narrow his movements while avoiding premature exposure of the operation,” the statement said.

The Presidency stressed that unlike previous reports, the latest strike was executed with a significantly higher degree of precision, target validation and multi-source intelligence confirmation.

Officials, according to the statement, insisted that multiple layers of verification were carried out before the final operation was authorised.

“In their assessment, ‘this time, there is no ambiguity,’” the statement noted.

The Presidency also cautioned against dismissing military claims based on past cases where terrorist leaders were wrongly declared dead before resurfacing later.

It cited examples from global counterterrorism operations, including early incorrect reports surrounding the death of former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

“Such cases highlight not failure but rather the evolving, often imperfect nature of intelligence gathering in asymmetric warfare,” the statement said.

The Presidency warned that undermining credible joint operations involving Nigerian forces and international partners could weaken public confidence in ongoing counterterrorism efforts.

It maintained that Nigeria’s Armed Forces, alongside foreign intelligence partners, were operating in one of the world’s most complex insurgency environments where targets often move across borders and use multiple identities.

“While public scrutiny remains an essential part of democratic accountability, security experts caution that premature dismissal of military claims can inadvertently undermine operational morale and strategic messaging,” the statement added.

The Presidency insisted that the operation targeting Al-Manuki represented a validated, intelligence-driven success against a senior figure in the Islamic State network.

“And in their words, this time, they are ‘100 per cent certain,’” he added.