The United States has deployed a small military team to Nigeria to support counterterrorism operations as Islamist attacks intensify across parts of the country, a senior U.S. general confirmed on Tuesday.
The head of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, said the deployment followed an agreement between Washington and Abuja that more action was needed to confront militant threats in West Africa. He described the team as bringing “unique capabilities” to assist Nigerian forces but declined to disclose its size or full mission details.
President Donald Trump had ordered airstrikes in December on what he described as Islamic State targets in Nigeria and warned that further military action could follow. The deployment marks the first public acknowledgment of U.S. troops operating on the ground in Nigeria since those strikes.
Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, confirmed that a U.S. team was working in the country, without giving further specifics.
A former U.S. official said the American personnel were believed to be focused mainly on intelligence gathering and helping Nigerian forces target terrorist-linked groups more effectively.
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The U.S. has increased pressure on Nigeria in recent months, with Trump accusing the country of failing to protect Christian communities from Islamist militants in the northwest. Nigerian authorities have rejected claims of religious persecution, saying their operations target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.
Militant groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have stepped up attacks on civilians and military convoys, particularly in the northwest, which has remained a focal point of the 17-year insurgency.
AFRICOM said a recent strike carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities in Sokoto State killed several ISIS militants. The strike followed earlier warnings by Trump that Christianity faced what he called an “existential threat” in Nigeria and that the United States could intervene militarily if violence continued.