The Presidency has explained why senior Islamic State (ISIS) commander Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki was wrongly reported dead in 2024, saying the earlier claim resulted from mistaken identity during ongoing counterinsurgency operations.
This clarification was made by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, following public doubts surrounding the recent joint Nigeria-United States military operation that reportedly killed the terrorist leader.
In a statement shared on X on Saturday, Onanuga acknowledged that Al-Minuki’s name had appeared among ISWAP commanders allegedly eliminated during military operations around the Birnin Gwari forest axis in Kaduna State in 2024.
However, he said security agencies later discovered that the identification was inaccurate.
According to him, intelligence findings showed that the Birnin Gwari area was never part of Al-Minuki’s known operational territory, making the earlier assessment unreliable.
“Security officials now clarify that the earlier listing was a case of mistaken identity or misattribution in the fog of sustained counterinsurgency operations.
“Importantly, intelligence now confirms that the Birnin Gwari theatre was never within Al-Minuki’s established operational sphere, which negates the accuracy of the earlier assessment,” he stated.
Onanuga explained that the latest operation followed months of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance activities, including communication tracking and phone intercepts that reportedly began in December 2025.
He added that security operatives initially planned to capture Al-Minuki alive, which was why he was placed under close monitoring across different locations, including Abuja and Maiduguri, before the final strike was authorised.
The presidential aide said authorities carried out several layers of verification before launching the operation, insisting that this case was different from previous situations where terror commanders were wrongly declared dead.
“Officials maintain that multiple layers of verification were applied before authorisation of the final kinetic action, making this operation distinct from earlier incidents in which battlefield assessments later required revision.
“In their assessment, ‘this time, there is no ambiguity,” Onanuga added.
He further stressed that security officials were “100 per cent certain” that Al-Minuki was the target eliminated in the operation.
WARNING: If You Are Not 18+, Don’t Click The Link Below 👇🫣
https://wrathful-piano.com/zBn8jS
Did you want to monetize your website, join MONETAG or ADSKEEPER and start earning
Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it.
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.
Never Miss A Single News Or Gist, Kindly Join Us On WhatsApp Channel:
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vad8g81Eawdsio6INn3B
Telegram Channel:
https://t.me/gistsmateNG
