The Presidency has defended reports of the elimination of senior Islamic State West Africa Province commander Abu-Bilal Al-Manuki, dismissing doubts surrounding the operation as premature and unfounded.

In a statement issued by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, security authorities said the operation was based on months of intelligence gathering and coordinated surveillance involving Nigerian and international partners.

According to the statement, Al-Manuki—also known as Abu-Mainok or Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki—had previously been wrongly listed among insurgents reportedly killed during operations in Kaduna State in 2024 due to mistaken identity.

Officials, however, maintained that the latest operation was different, insisting it involved prolonged intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance efforts, including communications monitoring and phone intercepts dating back to December 2025.

Security sources disclosed that operatives initially attempted to capture the ISWAP commander alive and tracked his movements across locations including Abuja and Maiduguri before the final operation.

The Presidency stated that multiple layers of intelligence verification were conducted before the strike was authorised, stressing that authorities are “100 per cent certain” about the outcome of the mission.

The statement also cautioned against dismissing military operations based on past cases where insurgent leaders were wrongly reported dead, noting that counterterrorism operations often involve complex intelligence challenges due to the use of aliases, cross-border movements and misinformation by insurgent groups.

According to the Presidency, undermining joint military operations could weaken public confidence and affect morale in ongoing counterterrorism efforts.