To effectively contain the worrisome insecurity rocking some parts of the country, the United States has again deployed some troops to Nigeria.
This marks the first official US military presence on the ground since the airstrikes targeted at terrorists in the northern part of the country on the last Christmas Day.
The deployment of Nigeria follows airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump had ordered last December 25 airstrikes to crush what he described as “Islamic State targets” in the country.
He had also indicated that further US military action in Nigeria could follow.
According to Reuters, the US had been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana since at least late November 2025, providing intelligence support ahead of the December strikes.
That news agency reported on Tuesday that the latest deployment was in line with an agreement between the Federal Government and Washington to deepen cooperation against growing terrorist threats in West Africa
Head of the U.S. Africa Command, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, said during a press briefing on Tuesday, “That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States.”
Howevee, he did not disclose the size or specific role of the team, but said the action would support Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
According to Reuters, Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, also confirmed the team’s presence but declined to give further details.
Security sources cited by Reuters said the Americans are likely involved in intelligence gathering and assisting Nigerian forces in targeting groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.
Nigeria has faced intense pressure from Washington over its handling of terrorist attacks, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump accused the government of failing to protect Christians in the northwest — a claim the Federal Government has rejected.
The Federal Government has stressed that its military operations target all armed groups that attack civilians, regardless of religion.
