US to deploy additional 200 troops to Nigeria under expanded counterterrorism cooperation

LAGOS, Nigeria

The US will deploy an additional 200 troops to Nigeria to assist army forces in counterterrorism operations, a Nigerian military source told Anadolu on Wednesday.

Last week, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) chief General Dagvin Anderson visited Abuja, where he met President Bola Tinubu, Defense Minister Christopher Musa, and senior officials.

General Anderson told a media briefing that the US had deployed a “small team” of military officers to Nigeria.

Military sources told Anadolu that Anderson’s talks with the Nigerian officials centered on shared priorities, particularly countering terrorist groups seen as threats to Nigeria, the US, and regional stability.

“It is true that we are expecting about 200 military personnel from the US. However, they are not coming to Nigeria to carry out isolated operations. They are coming to partner our troops to ensure the terrorists are flushed out,” a senior Defense Headquarters source said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

He added that cooperation would enhance intelligence-sharing on terrorism and transnational threats.

Concerns have surfaced domestically over foreign involvement in Nigeria’s internal security, especially after US President Donald Trump alleged that Christians were being targeted in what he described as a “genocide.” Nigerian authorities rejected that claim, saying insecurity affects citizens of all faiths.

Tensions appeared to ease after Trump later acknowledged that both Christians and Muslims were being targeted and ordered airstrikes on what he described as terrorist camps in Nigeria’s northwest.

Appearing before a House of Representatives joint defense committee to present the military’s proposed 2026 budget on Tuesday, Chief of Defence Staff Olufemi Oluyede said Nigeria is managing foreign partnerships carefully to protect its sovereignty. He acknowledged intelligence gaps but said allied cooperation has improved operational responsiveness.

Fight against terrorism

Separately, the Nigerian Army said its troops killed 16 terrorists during an offensive in the Komala axis of Konduga Local Government Area in Borno State.

Under the northeast joint task force Operation HADIN KAI, soldiers also rescued 11 kidnap victims, according to a statement Wednesday by Sani Uba, the task force’s media officer.

The latest US deployment underscores deepening military ties as both countries confront persistent security threats in Nigeria and across West Africa.