US Troops, Nigerian Kill Top ISIS Leader Linked to Dapchi Schoolgirls Kidnap
The Defence Headquarters has announced that troops of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, working in collaboration with United States forces, have neutralised a senior ISIS commander, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described as one of the world’s most active terrorists and a key figure linked to the 2018 Dapchi schoolgirls kidnapping in Yobe State.
The military said the operation, carried out through a coordinated counterterrorism mission, was enabled by intelligence sharing and operational cooperation under a recently strengthened Nigeria–United States security partnership.
Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, describing the operation as a major breakthrough in efforts to dismantle terrorist networks threatening Nigeria, the Lake Chad Basin, the Sahel, and other parts of the world.
According to the Defence Headquarters, al-Minuki played a strategic role within the ISIS hierarchy, providing guidance to ISIS affiliates outside Nigeria on media operations, economic warfare, and the development of weapons, explosives, and drones.
The military further revealed that intelligence reports indicated that as recently as February 2026, the slain commander may have been elevated to Head of the General Directorate of States, making him the second most senior figure within the global ISIS structure.
“His death removes a critical node through which ISIS coordinated and directed operations across different regions of the world,” the statement said.
Before his rise within ISIS, al-Minuki reportedly served in 2023 as the Nigeria-based al-Furqan GDP Office Emir, overseeing ISIS-linked operations across West Africa and the Sahel, including attacks targeting civilians, especially ethnic and religious minority communities.
The Defence Headquarters also linked the slain commander to the infamous abduction of schoolgirls from the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, in February 2018.
The Dapchi attack, one of Nigeria’s most high-profile mass abductions after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping, saw over 100 female students abducted when insurgents stormed the town in Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Military intelligence records also showed that al-Minuki had longstanding operational ties with ISIS-West Africa and played a role in facilitating the movement of fighters to Libya between 2015 and early 2016 to support ISIS activities in North Africa. Before pledging allegiance to ISIS in 2015, he was said to have been a prominent figure within Boko Haram.
The Defence Headquarters said the successful operation underscored Nigeria’s determination to confront terrorism and deny extremist groups the capacity to threaten national, regional, and international security.
The military also praised the growing security collaboration between Nigeria and the United States, noting that intelligence sharing and coordinated military action remained crucial to defeating transnational terrorist organisations.
“The Defence Headquarters commends the gallantry, professionalism and dedication of all personnel involved in the operation and appreciates the continued partnership and support of United States forces in the collective fight against terrorism,” the statement added.
The Armed Forces reaffirmed their commitment to dismantling terrorist infrastructure, protecting civilians, and restoring lasting peace and stability across Nigeria and the wider region.
