DHQ Clarifies Identity of Neutralised Terrorist Commander

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified reports surrounding the recent killing of a terrorist commander identified as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki during a joint operation conducted with the United States Africa Command on May 16, 2026.

The clarification comes after public reactions and media reports linking the operation to a similar military action in 2024, where a terrorist commander bearing the same name was reportedly eliminated.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the DHQ explained that the use of similar names, aliases and nom de guerres is common among members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram terrorist groups operating in the North East and across the Lake Chad Basin.

According to the military, the practice forms part of the terrorists’ indoctrination strategy aimed at concealing identities and creating confusion during counter-terrorism operations.

The DHQ stated that the Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki neutralised on May 16, 2026, had 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 region.

“There is therefore no ambiguity in his identity,” the statement noted.

The military described the operation as a major breakthrough in ongoing counter-terrorism efforts, stressing that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, in collaboration with the United States, remain committed to dismantling terrorist networks across the region.

The DHQ also urged the public and media organisations to rely only on verified official sources for information relating to security operations in order to avoid confusion arising from coincidental name similarities.