The Presidency has defended reports surrounding the killing of senior ISWAP commander Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, insisting that the joint Nigerian-American operation was credible and backed by extensive intelligence gathering.

In a statement shared on X, Bayo Onanuga said the controversy trailing the operation exposed the gap between public scepticism and the realities of modern counterterrorism operations.

Presidency Addresses Public Doubts

According to Onanuga, critics quickly questioned the authenticity of the operation after reports emerged that the ISWAP leader had been eliminated.

He noted that Al-Manuki, also known as Abu-Mainok or Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, had previously appeared on lists of insurgent commanders reportedly killed in 2024 during operations around Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.

However, security officials now believe the earlier report was a case of mistaken identity or inaccurate battlefield assessment.

“Importantly, intelligence now confirms that the Birnin Gwari theatre was never within Al-Manuki’s established operational sphere, which negates the accuracy of the earlier assessment,” the statement read.

Months Of Surveillance Before Operation

The Presidency disclosed that the latest operation followed months of coordinated intelligence efforts involving surveillance, phone intercepts, digital tracking and human intelligence.

According to the statement, the operation was built on Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance efforts that reportedly started in December 2025.

Security sources said authorities initially attempted to capture the ISWAP commander alive before the mission eventually shifted to a final strike operation.

The statement further revealed that Al-Manuki had allegedly been tracked across different locations, including Abuja and Maiduguri, shortly before the operation.

‘This Time, There Is No Ambiguity’

Onanuga stated that unlike previous cases, security agencies applied multiple layers of verification before approving the operation.

Officials reportedly insisted that the latest strike was carried out with a higher level of precision and target validation.

“In their assessment, this time, there is no ambiguity,” the statement added.

The Presidency also acknowledged that global counterterrorism operations have sometimes produced mistaken reports regarding the deaths of major insurgent leaders.

It referenced previous uncertainty surrounding the reported deaths of insurgent leaders such as Abubakar Shekau and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Warning Against Undermining Security Operations

The statement warned that dismissing military operations without evidence could weaken public confidence and affect morale among security operatives.

According to security officials, Nigerian forces and their international partners are operating in one of the world’s most difficult insurgency environments where terrorists frequently use aliases and move across borders.

The Presidency maintained that the operation against Al-Manuki remains a “validated, intelligence-driven success” against the Islamic State network.