In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the operation targeted Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, whom he identified as the second-in-command of Daesh globally. Trump said the mission was conducted jointly with Nigerian forces following intelligence tracking the militant’s activities across Africa.

“Brave American forces and the Armed Forces of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission,” Trump said, adding that Al-Minuki “will no longer terrorize the people of Africa, or help plan operations to target Americans.”Trump did not specify where the operation occurred or whether it involved airstrikes, ground forces or drone attacks.

Nigerian authorities had not immediately issued a public statement detailing the mission.The United States sanctioned Al-Minuki in 2023, identifying him as a senior Daesh figure based in the Sahel region and part of the organization’s General Directorate of Provinces, the administrative structure responsible for coordinating operations and financing across multiple regions.

According to the US State Department, Al-Minuki played a role in providing operational guidance and funding support for Daesh affiliates operating in Africa and beyond.Nigeria has faced escalating militant violence from regional branches linked to Daesh as well as rival Islamist group Boko Haram.

Nigerian security forces have also been engaged in operations against heavily armed criminal gangs known locally as “bandits.”Washington has increased military cooperation with Nigeria since late 2025 amid growing US concerns about the expansion of Islamist insurgencies across West Africa and the Sahel.

On Christmas Day last year, US and Nigerian forces conducted joint airstrikes in Sokoto State targeting fighters from the Islamic State in the Sahel Province, a Daesh affiliate active across parts of Niger and northwestern Nigeria.

Since then, hundreds of US personnel have reportedly been deployed to Nigeria to assist with intelligence sharing, military training and counterterrorism coordination.

Trump thanked the Nigerian government for what he described as its “partnership” in the latest operation, saying the removal of Al-Minuki had significantly weakened Daesh’s international network.

The raids, carried out by criminal groups locally known as bandits, targeted villages in Sokoto State on Thursday, following several days of deadly assaults in the country’s predominantly Muslim north.

Ahmad Yahaya, a community leader in Dan Adua village, said at least 12 people were killed and 43 abducted across Isa and Sabon Birni local government areas during the attacks. He said heavily armed gunmen carried out the raids.

Lawmaker Muhammad Saidu Bargaja, who represents the affected areas, confirmed the violence, reporting similar casualty figures and describing the security situation as “highly devastating.”

The districts are believed to be under the influence of Bello Turji, a notorious gang leader whose network imposes levies on communities and conducts retaliatory raids against those who refuse to comply.

The latest violence comes amid a wider escalation of attacks by both criminal gangs and jihadist groups. Earlier in the week, a senior military officer, Brigadier General Oseni Omoh Braimah, was killed along with several troops during an overnight assault on a military base in northeastern Nigeria, according to local officials and intelligence sources.

Separate attacks in the northwestern states of Kebbi and Niger have also left at least 90 people dead since Sunday, based on figures from local authorities, humanitarian groups and church sources.

The surge underscores ongoing security challenges in northern Nigeria, where armed groups continue to target civilians, security forces and infrastructure despite military operations aimed at curbing the violence.