The United States military has confirmed the deployment of a small team of troops to Nigeria to strengthen counterterrorism cooperation between both countries.
The announcement came on Tuesday from the Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, during a press briefing with journalists.
According to Anderson, the deployment followed discussions between Washington and Abuja, where both sides agreed that additional action was needed to combat growing terrorist threats across West Africa.
He explained that the move has resulted in closer operational collaboration between the two countries.
“This has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” Anderson said.
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However, he did not disclose the exact size of the team or the scope of its mission.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, confirmed the presence of the US personnel in the country but declined to provide further operational details.
Reports indicate that the US had previously conducted surveillance flights over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana since late November, ahead of the troop deployment.
The development follows US airstrikes carried out on Christmas Day after President Donald Trump ordered attacks on what he described as Islamic State-linked targets in Nigeria. Trump also warned that further military action could follow.
A former US official disclosed that the deployed team is believed to be heavily involved in intelligence gathering and in supporting Nigerian forces to conduct targeted operations against terrorist groups.
Nigeria has recently faced increased diplomatic pressure from Washington, after President Trump accused the country of failing to adequately protect Christian communities from Islamist militants operating in the northwest region.
Security analysts say the deployment signals a renewed US focus on stabilising West Africa amid rising extremist activities across the region.
