Earlier report on Al-Manuki’s death was mistaken identity — Presidency
The Presidency has said the earlier inclusion of ISWAP commander Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki among terrorists reportedly killed during military operations in Kaduna State in 2024 was a case of mistaken identity.
The clarification was made in a statement issued on Saturday by Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson to President Bola Tinubu.
The statement comes amid scepticism from some analysts who have questioned recent reports on the killing of the ISWAP commander, pointing out that Al-Manuki’s name had previously appeared on lists of extremist leaders reportedly killed during earlier military operations.
According to the statement, security and intelligence authorities had reviewed the earlier assessment and established that Al-Manuki was never part of the Birnin Gwari operational theatre where the previous killings were reported.
“It is acknowledged within military and intelligence circles that Al-Manuki’s name had appeared among lists of suspected ISWAP/Boko Haram commanders reportedly killed in 2024 during operations around the Birnin Gwari forest axis in Kaduna State,” the statement said.
“However, security officials now clarify that the earlier listing was a case of mistaken identity or misattribution in the fog of sustained counterinsurgency operations.”
The Presidency said fresh intelligence gathered over several months confirmed that the latest operation against the insurgent commander was based on “far higher levels of precision, target validation and multi-source intelligence confirmation.”
The statement disclosed that Al-Manuki had been under prolonged surveillance through Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations supported by communications intercepts and human intelligence sources.
Security officials said the tracking operation began in December 2025 and monitored the insurgents’ movements across several locations, including Abuja and Maiduguri.
According to the Presidency, authorities initially attempted to capture him alive before authorising the final strike.
“Unlike the previous report, security authorities insist that the latest strike was executed with a significantly higher degree of precision,” the statement added.
