The clarification comes after renewed attention to an earlier military announcement in 2024 that also claimed the elimination of a commander identified as Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, prompting debate over whether the same individual had been declared dead twice.
In a statement signed by Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, the military said the latest target was “positively identified” through human intelligence and technical surveillance as a senior Islamic State operative with links to terrorist coordination and financing activities across the Sahel.
According to the Defence Headquarters, similarities in names and aliases among fighters linked to ISWAP and Boko Haram are common within insurgent networks operating in the North-East and Lake Chad Basin.
The military said insurgent groups frequently adopt identical or closely related noms de guerre as part of an indoctrination system designed to obscure identities and complicate tracking efforts by security agencies.
“There is therefore no ambiguity in his identity,” the statement said, insisting that the individual killed in the May 16 operation was a high-profile operative connected to the wider Islamic State network.
The Defence Headquarters described the operation as a major development in ongoing counter-terrorism efforts and said Nigerian forces would continue working with the United States Africa Command to target extremist networks.
Authorities also urged the public and media organisations to rely on official channels for verified information, amid confusion generated by the repeated use of similar militant aliases.
