Cooperation to Establish Security: 100 U.S. Soldiers Arrive in Nigeria

Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence announced on Monday that approximately 100 U.S. military personnel are being deployed to the country as part of enhanced cooperation to combat terrorism and insecurity.

The ministry did not disclose when the “U.S. Army trainers” arrived or the expected date of their full deployment.

In a statement, the ministry said that “the Defence Headquarters announces the arrival of approximately 100 U.S. Army personnel, along with their equipment, at Bauchi Airport.”

It noted that the deployment is “planned” and comes in response to “a formal request submitted by the Federal Government of Nigeria to the Government of the United States to support clearly defined military training requirements, provide technical assistance, and share intelligence with the Nigerian Armed Forces.”

Nigeria has long faced a terrorist insurgency in its northeast, farmer-herder conflicts in the north-central region, violence carried out by separatists in the southeast, and kidnapping-for-ransom operations in the northwest.

In recent months, the United States has criticized Nigeria’s inability to curb the violence, and President Donald Trump has denounced what he described as the “persecution” of Christians, although attacks carried out by terrorist groups and criminal gangs have targeted both Christians and Muslims alike.

On December 25, the U.S. military conducted airstrikes in Nigeria’s Sokoto State. Nigerian authorities later stated that the operation had been coordinated with them and had targeted members of the Islamic State terrorist organization.

Regarding the announced deployment, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters stated that the American personnel “are technical experts serving exclusively in advisory and training roles. They are not combat forces.”