Mixed reactions have continued to trail the reported elimination of a top global terrorist figure, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, during a joint operation involving American and Nigerian forces.
The development was announced by Donald Trump in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday morning.
According to Trump, the operation was carried out on Friday night by American troops working alongside the Nigerian Armed Forces under his directive.
He described al-Minuki as the second-in-command of the Islamic State globally, alleging that the terrorist leader had been responsible for violent attacks across Africa.
The announcement has since sparked widespread reactions from political groups, commentators and social media users in Nigeria.
Reacting to the development, the mobilisation platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC Vanguard, praised the Nigerian military, stating that the operation demonstrated the capacity of the armed forces when adequately supported.
In a post shared on X, the group said the successful operation highlighted the importance of proper funding, coordination, intelligence gathering and equipment for security agencies.
“This is the kind of news that should remind every Nigerian that our military, when properly supported, equipped, coordinated and backed with solid intelligence, can deliver results that shake even global terror networks,” the group stated.
Also reacting, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Ayekooto Akindele, expressed excitement over the reported killing of the terrorist commander.
In a Facebook post, Akindele claimed that the terrorist leader had been operating from Nigeria before the joint operation that led to his death.
“ISIS number two man in the world has been living in Nigeria. He has just been killed by US/Nigerian forces. Say no to terrorism,” he wrote.
However, some Nigerians raised concerns over the development, questioning how such a high-profile terrorist suspect allegedly operated within the country without detection by local security agencies.
A social media influencer identified as @Millishield01 queried whether Nigerian law enforcement agencies had prior intelligence on the suspect’s activities.
“Does it mean no Nigerian law enforcement agencies knew this top terrorist was hiding in Nigeria?” the influencer asked.
The Nigerian military authorities are yet to issue an official statement regarding the operation as of the time of filing this report.