Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has given fresh details about the decade‑long terror network run by slain Islamic State commander Abu‑Bilal Al‑Minuki, also known as Abu‑Mainok. The senior ISIS figure was confirmed killed this week in a joint Nigerian–US operation targeting his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
According to military and diplomatic briefings, Al‑Minuki had been on the radar of Western and African intelligence services for years as a key architect of ISIS’ expansion into West and Central Africa. Sanctioned by the United States in 2023, he was accused of coordinating funding, training and logistics for Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) cells operating around Lake Chad and deep into the Sahel.
DHQ assessments link Al‑Minuki to a web of attacks on military bases, ambushes on convoys, mass kidnappings and cross‑border raids in Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon over the past decade. Security sources say he acted as a crucial bridge between ISIS core leadership and local franchises, helping to move fighters, weapons and money across porous borders.
The ministry said intelligence indicated that Al‑Minuki had recently been trying to rebuild fragmented jihadist alliances in the region, reaching out to splinter groups with ties to both ISIS and Al‑Qaeda‑linked factions. His killing, officials insist, has dealt a major blow to these efforts and disrupted active plots aimed at security forces, critical infrastructure and civilian populations.
DHQ also used the briefing to respond to public debates over recent precision air and ground strikes, stressing that terrorists — not civilians — were the intended targets. Military spokesmen said the operation against Al‑Minuki followed months of surveillance and coordination with international partners, and forms part of a wider campaign to decapitate extremist leadership networks.
Despite the success, defence officials warned that ISIS‑aligned cells remain active in the Lake Chad area and that Nigeria will intensify joint operations, intelligence‑sharing and border security to prevent regrouping. They urged communities to continue cooperating with security agencies by providing information that can help track remaining commanders and sleeper cells
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