President Donald Trump said on May 15, 2026, that U.S. and Nigerian forces killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as ISIS’s second-in-command globally, in a joint operation in Nigeria.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said “brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield”. He added that al-Minuki “thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing”. Trump thanked the Nigerian government for its partnership.
Al-Minuki, also known as Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Ali al-Mainuki, is a Nigerian national born in 1982 in Mainok, Borno State. The U.S. Department of State designated him a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on June 8, 2023, citing his role as a senior leader in ISIS’s General Directorate of Provinces and in the Lake Chad division. U.S. officials have linked him to directing ISIS activities in the Sahel and Lake Chad region through ISIS-West Africa Province.
The claim spread rapidly on X, accompanied by a photo of Trump and a generic image of an ISIS fighter. Reactions have been largely positive, with users highlighting the reported U.S.-Nigeria cooperation.
As of Saturday morning, neither the U.S. Department of Defense nor the Nigerian government had issued official confirmation beyond Trump’s statement. The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously confirmed joint U.S.-Nigeria operations against ISIS-linked targets in northwest Nigeria, including strikes in Sokoto State in December 2025.
Trump’s announcement comes amid expanded U.S.-Nigeria counterterrorism cooperation. In December 2025, U.S. forces carried out strikes in Sokoto State at Nigeria’s request, targeting ISIS militants in the Sahel. Nigerian officials said those strikes used intelligence provided by Abuja and were aimed at foreign fighters infiltrating from the Sahel….See More
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