Falana’s reaction comes after great uncertainty erupted over the alleged execution of Abu Bilal Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, after Nigerian officials publicly proclaimed his death in 2024, only for Trump and Tinubu to announce it again in a new joint operation in 2026.
Femi Falana, SAN, a renowned human rights lawyer, has criticised President Bola Tinubu for relying on claims made by US President Donald Trump about the death of a senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, despite the Nigerian military declaring the same terrorist dead in 2024.
Falana, in a statement issued on Saturday titled “President Tinubu Should Stop Relying On President Trump’s False Claims On The Prosecution Of Counter-Insurgency Operations In Nigeria,” urged Tinubu to obtain accurate operational briefings directly from Defence Headquarters rather than relying on foreign claims.
“Our attention has been drawn to President Bola Tinubu’s confirmation of President Donald Trump’s claim that the Abu-Bilal al-Minuki has just been killed,” Falana stated.
“As the commander 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,” he added.
Falana’s reaction comes after great uncertainty erupted over the alleged execution of Abu Bilal Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, after Nigerian officials publicly proclaimed his death in 2024, only for Trump and Tinubu to announce it again in a new joint operation in 2026.
SaharaReporters previously noted that the contradiction raised severe concerns about battlefield intelligence, military records, and the reliability of official counterterrorism statements involving one of the most infamous IS-affiliated commanders operating in the Lake Chad Basin.
In April 2024, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters recognised Abu Bilal Minuki as one of the top terrorist commanders neutralised following military operations between January and March of that year.