Roughly 100 American troops, along with military equipment, have landed in Nigeria for a training mission aimed at strengthening the country’s fight against insurgents and criminal gangs. The Nigerian military confirmed the development on Monday, describing it as part of a broader security partnership.
According to a statement from the armed forces, Nigeria formally requested the United States‘ assistance, seeking training, technical expertise and intelligence cooperation to bolster operations against militant groups.
The deployment comes after a period of diplomatic strain between the two countries. Tensions rose when U.S. President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of failing to shield Christians from what he described as genocide. Nigerian officials firmly denied the claim, and security analysts argued the assertion overlooked the complex reality of the conflict, where victims are frequently attacked irrespective of religion.
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Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, has previously clarified that the American personnel will not take part in combat or direct battlefield operations. Command authority, he stressed, remains fully with Nigerian forces.
Security cooperation between the two countries has deepened in recent months. In December, U.S. forces carried out airstrikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in northwestern Nigeria. Then, after talks with Nigerian officials in Abuja last month, the head of U.S. Africa Command confirmed that a small group of American officers was already in the country, concentrating on intelligence support.
Nigeria’s security crisis, however, stretches far beyond a single faction. The country is grappling with a prolonged insurgency involving numerous armed groups competing for territory and influence. Among them are Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province. The IS-affiliated Lakurawa network also operates in parts of the country, alongside so-called bandit groups notorious for kidnapping-for-ransom schemes and illegal mining activities.
The situation has further deteriorated with spillover threats from the Sahel. Militants linked to Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin claimed their first attack on Nigerian soil last year, underscoring the expanding regional dimension of the conflict. United Nations data indicate that several thousand people have been killed in Nigeria, with critics arguing that the government’s response has fallen short in safeguarding communities.
Although Christians have been among those attacked, observers and residents reportedly note that most victims are Muslims living in the predominantly Muslim north, where violence is most concentrated.
