The Defence Headquarters has clarified public concerns surrounding the identity of a slain ISWAP commander, Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, killed during a joint counter-terrorism operation in the North-East.
The Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Somalia Uba, made the clarification in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
Uba said the terrorist commander was neutralised on May 16 during a collaborative operation involving the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the United States Africa Command.
According to him, some media reports had linked the development to a similar operation carried out in 2024 involving another terrorist commander bearing the same name.
He explained that the use of similar names, aliases and nom de guerres was common among ISWAP and Boko Haram fighters across the North-East and Lake Chad Basin.
“It is crucial to note that in the North-East region and throughout the Lake Chad Basin, the use of similar or identical names, aliases and nom de guerres is prevalent among ISWAP and Boko Haram terrorists.
“This practice is a deliberate part of their indoctrination strategy, aimed at obscuring identities,” he said.
Uba said intelligence findings and technical surveillance had confirmed that the Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki killed in the recent operation was a senior global operative within the Islamic State network.
“The Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki who was eliminated on May 16, 2026, has been positively identified through human intelligence and technical surveillance as a senior global operative within the Islamic State network, possessing direct connections to international terrorist coordination, funding and operations across the Sahel.
“Thus, there is no ambiguity regarding his identity,” he added.
The defence spokesman described the operation as a major success in ongoing counter-terrorism efforts.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, in collaboration with international partners, to dismantling terrorist networks and sustaining security operations in the region.
Uba also urged the media and the public to rely on verified information from authorised channels to avoid confusion arising from similar terrorist identities.
