Presidents Tinubu and Trump
By DAVID IORJA, Abuja –
The global fight against terrorism has received a boost with the elimination of one of the senior leaders of ISIS, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuk in a joint counter-terrorism operation carried out by American and Nigerian security forces last night.
President Donald Trump of the United States and his Nigerian counterpart, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, confirmed the development in separate states they personally issued between yesterday night and early this morning.
Described as the “second in command” global leader of the Islamic State group, Al-Manuk was in 2023 declared wanted by the United States over alleged ties to the Islamic State group, and had continued to operate in Africa.
“Tonight, at my direction, 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,” Trump said in a statement he personally signed and posted Friday on his Truth Social platform
President Trump further noted that al-Minuki, “second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he was doing.”
“He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans. With his removal, ISIS’s global operation is greatly diminished,” the US President added.
He also thanked the government of Nigeria “for their partnership on this operation.”
- A group photograph showing some American and Nigerian security forces in a joint operation in 2017 (Photo: US Army)
On his part, President Tinubu said this morning that overnight, Nigeria and the United States recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism.
In a statement he personally signed, President Tinubu said:
“Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.
“Early assessments confirm the elimination of the wanted IS senior leader, Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok, along with several of his lieutenants, during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin
“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives. I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort.
“I commend the personnel involved on both sides for their professionalism and courage, and I look forward to more decisive strikes against all terrorist enclaves across the nation.”
