The Presidency has clarified that ISWAP commander Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki was not killed in a 2024 military operation. It described earlier reports as a case of mistaken identity.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, gave the clarification on Saturday via a post on X. He said security agencies corrected earlier intelligence records linked to the militant leader.
Onanuga admitted that Al-Manuki’s name had appeared on a list of suspected terrorists killed in 2024. He said officials later confirmed that the listing was inaccurate.
Security authorities now say the Birnin Gwari axis operation did not involve Al-Manuki. They also stressed that he operated outside that theatre at the time.
Onanuga said intelligence agencies now rely on updated surveillance, communication tracking, and intercepts. He explained that monitoring of the suspect intensified from December 2025.
He added that security operatives initially planned to capture Al-Manuki alive. This led to extended tracking across Abuja and Maiduguri before the final strike.
Officials reviewed multiple intelligence layers before approving the operation, he said. They insisted the latest identification carried no doubt.
The Presidency said the joint Nigeria–United States operation achieved its objective. It also said the strike followed months of coordinated intelligence work.
US President Donald Trump first announced the operation on Friday night. He described Al-Manuki as a top global terror figure and a senior ISIS-linked commander.
US Defence officials said Al-Manuki oversaw attack planning and hostage operations across the Sahel. They also linked him to the group’s financial and logistics networks.
The US Africa Command released footage it said showed coordinated strikes on ISIS targets in northeastern Nigeria. It said the operation involved multiple precision attacks.
President Bola Tinubu praised the joint mission. He said it demonstrated strong cooperation between Nigeria and the United States in counterterrorism efforts.
Al-Manuki, also known by several aliases, was born in 1982 in Borno State. The United States had earlier designated him a global terrorist in 2023.
He rose within ISWAP after the death of Mamman Nur in 2018. Security sources linked him to wider ISIS networks operating across the Sahel.
Onanuga urged the public to avoid dismissing recent military gains based on past errors. He said improved intelligence systems now reduce the risk of misidentification.
He warned that undermining joint security operations could weaken public confidence in counterterrorism efforts.
