US troops arrive in northeast Nigeria
Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters says deployment part of longstanding security partnership between the two countries
Three US military aircraft carrying troops and weapons have arrived in Maiduguri, the capital of Nigeria's Borno state, marking the start of a new bilateral security deployment focused on support roles, officials said.
Officials within Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters told Anadolu that about 100 US troops arrived in Nigeria between Thursday and Sunday as part of an initial deployment, with additional flights scheduled in the coming weeks.
“As said last week, the American troops would focus on non-combat functions and operate primarily from command centres. Their job is to support our efforts here,” an official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Anadolu on Monday.
In comments previously reported by Anadolu, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesperson for the Nigerian Defence Headquarters, explained that US personnel “do not serve in a combat capacity and will not assume a direct operational role.”
US criticisms
The development comes amid renewed pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has criticised Nigeria’s handling of attacks targeting Christian communities.
The Nigerian government denied this, saying that while Christian communities have suffered deadly assaults, Muslim civilians and others have also been killed in significant numbers in ongoing violence.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has also intensified domestic security measures, as army authorities announced the deployment of special forces to Plateau and Taraba states, which have experienced recurring violence.
While Nigerian officials did not specify the duration of the US presence, American authorities have indicated that the deployment is intended to be temporary.