Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says the use of similar aliases among Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders led to public confusion over reports surrounding the death of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki.
The clarification followed renewed debate after the military announced that Al-Minuki was killed during a joint operation involving Nigerian troops and the United States Africa Command on May 16, 2026.
Questions emerged after old reports resurfaced online claiming that a terrorist commander bearing the same name had already been killed in 2024.
In a statement, Major General Samaila Uba, director of defence information, said insurgent groups in the North-East and Lake Chad Basin frequently adopt identical or closely related aliases to conceal their identities and complicate intelligence tracking.
According to the DHQ, the Al-Minuki eliminated in the latest operation was positively identified through human intelligence and technical surveillance as a senior operative linked to the global Islamic State network.
The military said there was “no ambiguity” regarding the identity of the terrorist commander killed during the operation.
The controversy intensified after previous military reports from 2024 were circulated online, leading to accusations that authorities may have mistakenly announced the death of the same commander twice.
However, the DHQ maintained that the repeated use of aliases is common within Boko Haram and ISWAP ranks and forms part of their indoctrination and concealment tactics.
Reuters had earlier reported that both US President Donald Trump and President Bola Tinubu confirmed the killing of Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki during a joint operation in Borno State.
