US President Donald Trump and Nigerian President Bola Tinubu have jointly confirmed the elimination of Abu Bilal al-Muki, the Islamic State’s second-highest leader worldwide, in a coordinated military operation inside Nigeria.
Trump described al-Muki — also known as Abu Bulal al-Manuki — as “the most active terrorist in the world.” The Nigerian national was believed to have directed ISIS operations across Africa and planned attacks further afield.
Announcing the success on Saturday, President Trump said al-Muki had believed he could find safety in Africa, but US intelligence sources tracked his movements. “He will no longer terrorize the people of Africa or help plan operations to target Americans,” Trump declared.
President Bola Tinubu confirmed the death of the senior militant. The Nigerian army stated that ground and air forces carried out the strike in northeastern Borno State in close coordination with US Africa Command.
Borno State remains the longstanding epicenter of a 17-year insurgency waged by the Islamic State and rival Boko Haram militants, which has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions.
The operation reflects deepening US-Nigeria counter-terrorism ties. Last year, Trump had publicly criticized Nigeria for insufficient protection of Christians from jihadist groups. On Christmas Day 2025, the United States conducted an airstrike on an alleged Islamic State stronghold in northern Nigeria, followed by the deployment of hundreds of US troops to train and support Nigerian forces.
Speaking on the broader threat, President Trump noted: “Today, the epicenter of global terrorism is in Africa. ISIS leadership is African.” He praised recent improvements in cooperation, saying Nigeria has shown “very positive engagement with intel sharing and the ability to go after and target some of these terrorist threats.”
President Bola Tinubu welcomed the partnership and thanked Trump for the operation, adding that Nigeria looks forward to further decisive strikes against all remaining terrorist enclaves in the country.
