Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the Nigerian leader confirmed an announcement by US President Donald Trump that an Islamic State leader, Abu-Bilal al-Mainuki, was killed in a joint Nigerian-American military operation.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Mr Falana said the terrorist leader had been announced killed in 2024 by Nigerian troops, contrary to the statement made by President Trump and later confirmed by President Tinubu.
“Our attention has been drawn to President Bola Tinubu’s confirmation of President Donald Trump’s claim that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki has just been killed,” Mr Falana said.
“As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Tinubu should contact the Defence Headquarters on the killing of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and other terrorists instead of relying on President Donald Trump’s erroneous claims on the prosecution of the counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria.”
Mr Falana appears to rely on an April 2024 announcement by the Defence Headquarters naming Abu Bilal Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, among 11 notorious terrorist commanders killed by Nigerian troops between January and March 2024.
At the time, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, identified Abu Bilal Minuki as the head of IS-Al Furqan Province linked to ISGS and ISWAP in the North-east.
The military said the killings were achieved through coordinated air and ground offensives targeting terrorist enclaves across the country.
Earlier on Saturday, President Trump announced on Truth Social that American and Nigerian forces had carried out a successful joint mission that eliminated “the most active terrorist in the world.”
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the terrorist commander, identified as Abubakar Mainok, also known as Abu-Bilal al-Mainuki, was described by US authorities as a senior Islamic State commander and the group’s global second-in-command.
According to US documents, Mr Mainok was designated a “global terrorist” in 2023. The documents also traced his origin to the town of Mainok in the Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State.
President Tinubu subsequently confirmed the operation in a statement shared by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, describing it as a product of effective collaboration between Nigeria and the United States.
“Overnight, Nigeria and the United States recorded a significant example of effective collaboration in the fight against terrorism,” President Tinubu stated.
“Our determined Nigerian Armed Forces, working closely with the Armed Forces of the United States, conducted a daring joint operation that dealt a heavy blow to the ranks of the Islamic State.”
The president added that early assessments confirmed the elimination of the wanted Islamic State leader, also known as Abu-Mainok, alongside several lieutenants during a strike on his compound in the Lake Chad Basin.
“Nigeria appreciates this partnership with the United States in advancing our shared security objectives. I extend my sincere gratitude to President Trump for his leadership and unwavering support in this effort,” he added.
President Tinubu also commended the Nigerian and American personnel involved in the operation and expressed hope for more decisive strikes against terrorist enclaves across the country.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army on Saturday released operational details of the mission, saying the terrorist commander was killed during a joint operation involving troops of Operation Hadin Kai and the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).
In a statement, the spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, Sani Uba, said Mr Mainok was killed during a “meticulously planned and highly complex precision air-land operation” carried out in Metele, a border community in Borno State near the Niger Republic.
According to the military, the operation followed prolonged intelligence gathering involving “legal intercept operations and sustained reconnaissance.”
The army said intelligence reports confirmed that Mr Mainok and members of his “international terrorist cell” had established a concealed and fortified enclave in Metele within Sector 3 of the operation.
Mr Uba said US forces and Operation Hadin Kai subsequently launched coordinated air and ground strikes on the location, while Special Forces personnel were deployed to block escape routes and provide security support.
“Multiple air platforms were deployed in a synchronised air-land configuration that left the terrorists with no avenue of escape,” he stated.
The military spokesperson added that the operation commenced around 12:01 a.m. and ended about 4:00 a.m. on Saturday after receiving approval from the military high command.
He described the mission as “the single most consequential counter-terrorism outcome in the North East Theatre since the inception of Operation Hadin Kai.”
Mr Uba said no military personnel or equipment were lost during the operation.
“The operation was executed with zero casualties or loss of assets, a testament to the exceptional planning, superior tactical execution and the deepening synergy between Nigerian and U.S. military forces in the global fight against terrorism,” he said.
He added that troops had commenced follow-up operations aimed at targeting possible splinter groups and preventing regrouping attempts.
But Mr Falana insisted that the terrorist leader was killed last year and that the development had already been publicly announced by the Nigerian military.
“Contrary to Mr Trump’s misleading claim, the dangerous terrorist, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, was killed in 2024 by the patriotic armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
“The killing of the wanted terrorist was announced by the Defence Headquarters and published by the print and electronic media in Nigeria.”
The senior lawyer also urged the federal government to focus on strengthening Nigeria’s military capacity instead of depending on foreign validation in the fight against insurgency.
“Instead of relying on a foreign regime that cannot stop the reckless massacre of thousands of its citizens, including children, in gun violence and gun-related deaths, the Federal Government should adequately equip and maintain the armed forces in line with Section 217(2) of the Nigerian Constitution,” he said.