The United States has deployed about 200 troops to Nigeria to strengthen the country’s fight against Islamist militants, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
An American military official told the newspaper that the deployment comes weeks after US President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of failing to adequately protect Christians from terrorist attacks.
The report said the newly deployed personnel would enhance Nigeria’s counterterrorism capacity through training and operational support. They are expected to complement a small number of US military advisers already in the country, who assist Nigerian forces with intelligence gathering and target identification.
AFRICOM confirms expanded collaboration
Speaking during a virtual briefing last Tuesday, the Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen Dagvin R. Anderson, confirmed deeper cooperation between both countries following 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.
He added that the discussions had resulted in increased collaboration, including the deployment of a small US team bringing specialised capabilities to support Nigeria’s ongoing security efforts.
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday received a US delegation at the State House in Abuja, led by Gen Anderson. The delegation also included the Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Nigeria, Keith Heffern. Talks focused on strengthening defence cooperation and addressing regional security challenges.
Defence Headquarters clarifies role
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters emphasised that the partnership with the United States centres on capacity building rather than direct combat operations.
In a statement, Director of Defence Information, Maj Gen Samaila Uba, said Nigeria maintains a long-standing and structured security relationship with the United States, conducted within established bilateral frameworks and with full respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.
According to the military, areas of collaboration include professional military education, intelligence sharing, logistics support and strategic dialogue aimed at tackling terrorism and other shared security threats.
The clarification followed media reports and public speculation surrounding the presence of US troops in Nigeria.
Dont Miss: Senate Approves Electronic Transmission, Retains Manual Backup in Electoral Act Amendment
