ISIS Commander Controversy: Presidency Explains Why Earlier Death Reports Were Wrong

In a statement shared on on Saturday, Onanuga explained that previous reports linking the ISIS commander to a 2024 military strike were the result of mistaken identity.

He acknowledged that Al-Manuki’s name had previously appeared among lists of suspected ISWAP and Boko Haram commanders reportedly killed during operations around the Birnin Gwari forest area in Kaduna State in 2024.

However, he said security authorities have since clarified that the earlier report was based on misidentification during ongoing counterinsurgency operations.

According to Onanuga, intelligence findings later showed that the Birnin Gwari axis was not part of Al-Manuki’s known operational territory, casting doubt on the accuracy of the previous assessment.

He criticised the scepticism surrounding the latest operation, describing it as premature and lacking proper understanding of modern counterterrorism operations.

The presidential aide stated that security agencies now have a much higher level of confidence regarding the recent strike.

According to intelligence sources cited in the statement, the operation followed months of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) activities, supported by communications monitoring and phone intercepts dating back to December 2025.

The statement noted that the intelligence trail was built gradually through sustained digital surveillance, human intelligence gathering, and tracking of Al-Manuki’s movements across several locations in northern Nigeria.

Security officials reportedly initially aimed to capture him alive rather than eliminate him, which explained why he remained under surveillance in locations including Abuja and Maiduguri shortly before the final operation.

The statement added that the operation involved multiple layers of intelligence verification and target confirmation before approval was granted for the final strike.

Unlike earlier incidents where battlefield assessments later required corrections, officials insisted that the latest mission was executed with greater precision and extensive multi-source intelligence validation.

According to the authorities quoted in the statement, “this time, there is no ambiguity.