DHQ clarifies that the 2024 death of Abu‑Bilal Al‑Minuki was not the same individual.

The Defence Headquarters has addressed recent discussions about the elimination of a high‑profile terrorist commander, Abu‑Bilal Al‑Minuki.

According to the Daily Post, a joint operation with the United States Africa Command on 16 May 2026 resulted in the death of Bilal Al‑Minuki.

After this event, some media outlets cited a similar operation from 2024 that also claimed the killing of a commander with the same name, sparking confusion about who had actually been neutralised.

In a statement signed by Uba, Somalia’s Director of Defence Information, the DHQ clarified: “In the North‑East region and across the Lake Chad Basin, ISWAP and Boko Haram frequently use similar or identical names, aliases and nom de guerres.”

“This tactic is a deliberate part of their indoctrination strategy, designed to obscure identities. The practice has been confirmed during counter‑terrorism operations in Northeast Nigeria over the years,” the statement continued.

“The Abu‑Bilal Al‑Minuki eliminated on 16 May 2026 has been positively identified through 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. Therefore, there is no ambiguity regarding his identity.”

The statement added that the strike marks a significant milestone in the country’s counter‑terrorism efforts.

It reaffirmed that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, working with the United States, remain committed to dismantling terrorist networks and will continue to release verified information through official channels.

The DHQ urged the public and the media to rely only on authorised sources to avoid confusion caused by coincidental name similarities.