The administration of Donald Trump has announced that American and Nigerian forces carried out a joint military operation that allegedly eliminated Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as the second-in-command of ISIS and one of the world’s most active terrorists.
In a statement shared by The White House on social media, President Trump said:
“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. Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS…”
The announcement immediately drew widespread online reactions, with supporters praising the operation. At the same time, critics questioned the credibility of the claim, noting that reports had previously surfaced in 2024 alleging the same terrorist leader had already been killed.
A user identified as Jack’s 🇺🇲🎗 praised the operation and thanked Trump, writing:
“The world has been silent about the genocide of Christians in Nigeria. Not one outlet would continue reporting on the mass genocide. God bless you. Keep up the amazing work of removing these terrorists from this Earth.”
Another account, Iranian Observer, questioned the announcement, stating:
“Isn’t this the same Abu Bilal al-Minuki Nigeria claimed to kill in 2024? How did they and the U.S. kill him a second time now? You are such habitual liars, you have no shame.”
Similarly, user Don wrote: “This same person WAS killed in 2024? The same way they told us Boko Haram leader Shekau was killed three times.”
Another commenter, Faruk Idrees, also raised doubts: “How is the global second-in-command of ISIS being ‘eliminated tonight’ if local reports had him dead in 2024? Did he resurrect, or is someone just recycling old intelligence to justify foreign troops being on the ground?”
Some users welcomed the reported collaboration between Nigeria and the United States on counterterrorism operations.
Àlúbàríkà 🇳🇬 described the operation as: “Another major setback for the enemies of Nigeria who believed they could use insecurity to weaken the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The user added, “Instead, the United States stood with Nigeria in the fight against insecurity. Special appreciation to President Trump and the brave American forces for their support, cooperation, and commitment to helping Nigeria confront security threats head-on.”
ISMAEEL also commended the joint operation, saying: “The collaboration between the United States and Nigeria on counterterrorism shows how global security challenges require strong international partnerships.”
Mutiu Alabi praised both countries’ armed forces, writing: “Kudos to the Nigerian forces and the collaboration with the US forces in achieving this monumental success. No hiding place for terrorists, both local and international.”
However, other reactions reflected scepticism toward the Nigerian government’s involvement.
Amarachukwu wrote: “How sorrowful it is to be a helpless Nigerian. Even the government aren’t aware of the operations taking place in their backyard. Trump struck again. He just added the Nigerian government for courtesy.”
Another user, @therealCHIMDI 🇺🇸, claimed: “We know you carried out this mission singlehandedly. God bless America and even the good Nigerians.”
Questions also emerged over how such a high-profile ISIS figure could allegedly operate within Nigeria undetected.
Millishield 01 asked: “Does it mean Nigerian law enforcement agencies were not aware that this terrorist was hiding in Nigeria?”
Ebiarede A. 🇳🇬 similarly reacted: “If someone of this calibre was living in Nigeria, how sure are we that Satan doesn’t live in Nigeria as well?”
Meanwhile, Clear Signal News provided additional context, noting that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki had reportedly been designated a global terrorist by the U.S. government in 2023 and was believed to be coordinating ISIS expansion across the Sahel and West Africa.
The outlet added: “Removing the number two does not dissolve the structure. Every prior ISIS second-in-command killing was followed by a successor within months.”
