The United States has confirmed the deployment of a small team of troops to Nigeria, marking the first official acknowledgement of American forces operating on Nigerian soil since Washington carried out airstrikes on Christmas Day.
The disclosure was made yesterday by the general overseeing US military operations in Africa, following months of speculation over Washington’s expanding security footprint in the country.
In December, President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on what he described as Islamic State targets in Nigeria, warning at the time that further US military action could follow. Prior to that, Reuters had reported that the United States had been flying surveillance missions over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana since at least late November.
According to the US military, the deployment followed discussions between both governments on the need to intensify efforts against terrorist threats in West Africa.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), told journalists during a briefing yesterday.
General Anderson declined to disclose details regarding the size of the team or the specific scope of its activities.
Nigeria’s Defence Minister, retired General Christopher Musa, also confirmed that a US team is currently operating in the country, though he similarly refrained from providing further information.
A former US official familiar with the situation said the deployed personnel appear to be deeply involved in intelligence-gathering operations and in supporting Nigerian forces to carry out strikes against groups linked to terrorist organisations.
The development comes amid growing pressure from Washington, with President Trump accusing Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants, particularly in the country’s northwest. The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of systematic persecution of Christians, insisting that security forces are targeting armed groups whose attacks affect both Christian and Muslim civilians.
Militant groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have recently escalated attacks on military convoys and civilian populations, while the northwest remains a major hotspot in Nigeria’s 17-year Islamist insurgency.
AFRICOM confirmed that the Christmas Day strike was conducted in Sokoto State in coordination with Nigerian authorities and resulted in the deaths of several ISIS militants.
The strike followed repeated warnings from Trump beginning in late October, when he said Christianity was facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria and threatened military intervention over what he described as the government’s failure to halt violence against Christian communities.
What you should know
The confirmation of US troops in Nigeria signals a deepening security partnership between both countries amid rising militant activity.
While Washington frames its involvement as counterterrorism support, the move follows sharp criticism from President Trump over religious violence claims. Nigeria continues to deny allegations of targeted persecution, stressing that insecurity affects all communities.
The deployment underscores growing international concern over Nigeria’s security challenges and the regional implications of extremist violence.
