US sends 200 troops to Nigeria for counterterrorism training

About 200 United States troops have been deployed to Nigeria to support the training of the country’s armed forces in the fight against Islamist militants, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

An American military official told the newspaper that the move comes weeks after US President Donald Trump criticised Nigeria for failing to protect Christians from terrorist attacks.

The report stated that the troops are expected to boost Nigeria’s counterterrorism capacity through training and operational support. The new personnel will join a small team of US military advisers already working with Nigerian forces, primarily in intelligence gathering to help identify targets for military operations, according to US and Nigerian officials.

Speaking during a virtual briefing last week, the Commander of the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM), Gen Dagvin R. Anderson, confirmed that military cooperation between both countries had deepened following recent high-level engagements.

“I was able to meet President Tinubu. We were able to share some thoughts and agree that we needed to work together on a way forward in the region,” Anderson said.

“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small US team that brings unique capabilities from the United States to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years.”

Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, however, clarified that the partnership with the United States is focused strictly on capacity building and not combat operations.

According to the military, the cooperation includes professional military education, intelligence sharing, logistics support and strategic dialogue aimed at tackling shared security threats, particularly terrorism.

The clarification followed public speculation and media reports suggesting a full-scale deployment of US troops for combat roles in Nigeria.

In a statement, the Director of Defence Information, Maj Gen Samaila Uba, emphasised that all engagements with the United States are conducted with full respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty and within established bilateral agreements.

“The Defence Headquarters has noted recent media reports and public speculation suggesting the presence or deployment of United States troops in Nigeria.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to state that Nigeria maintains a long-standing and structured security partnership with the United States,” the statement read.

President Bola Tinubu had on Sunday received a high-level US delegation led by Gen Anderson at the State House in Abuja. The delegation also included the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Nigeria, Keith Heffern.

Discussions at the meeting reportedly centred on strengthening defence cooperation and addressing regional security challenges.