By Nkechi Eze
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified concerns surrounding the identity of terrorist commander Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, recently neutralised during a joint operation conducted by Nigerian troops and the United States Africa Command on 16 May 2026.
In an official signed statement, Director Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, explained that public confusion arose following media reports referencing a similar counter-terrorism operation in 2024 involving a terrorist commander bearing the same name.
Major General Uba stated that the recurrence of similar names and aliases among Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters is a common feature within terrorist networks operating across the North East and the Lake Chad Basin region.
He noted that the practice forms part of the insurgents’ indoctrination strategy designed to deliberately conceal identities and complicate intelligence tracking by security forces.
According to the statement, “Certain media reports referencing a similar operation in 2024 have mentioned the elimination of a terrorist commander bearing the same name. This has understandably generated questions about the identity of the individual recently neutralised.”
The Defence Headquarters, however, maintained that there was no uncertainty regarding the identity of the terrorist killed during the latest operation.
Major General Uba disclosed that the Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki eliminated on 16 May 2026 was positively identified through coordinated human intelligence and technical surveillance as a senior global operative within the Islamic State network, with direct links to international terrorist coordination, funding and operations across the Sahel region.
“There is therefore no ambiguity in his identity,” the statement added.
The DHQ described the operation as a major breakthrough in ongoing counter-terrorism efforts and reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, working in partnership with the United States, to dismantling terrorist networks threatening regional security.
The military authorities also urged members of the public and the media to rely strictly on verified information released through official channels in order to avoid misinformation arising from coincidental similarities in terrorist aliases and operational code names.
