BREAKING: US SENDS 200 TROOPS TO NIGERIA FOR COUNTERTERRORISM TRAINING MISSION

By: Abdul-Qoyyum Adeshola, Badmus.

Date: Wednesday, 11th February, 2026 (23rd Sha’ban, 1447AH).

THE United States has dispatched approximately 200 military personnel to Nigeria to support the country’s fight against terrorism through training and advisory roles, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

An American defence official told the publication that the deployment follows recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who criticised Nigeria over alleged failures to protect Christians from extremist violence.

The troops are expected to enhance Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations by providing specialised training and operational assistance. They will reinforce a small contingent of US military advisers already stationed in the country, who work with Nigerian forces on intelligence gathering and target identification, officials from both nations confirmed.

Speaking during a virtual briefing on Tuesday, Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen Dagvin R. Anderson, acknowledged deeper cooperation between Washington and Abuja after high-level discussions.

“I met with President Tinubu, and we agreed on the need to strengthen joint efforts to address security concerns in the region,” Anderson said.

He noted that the renewed engagement has resulted in expanded collaboration, including the deployment of a limited US team bringing specialised capabilities to complement Nigeria’s longstanding security operations.

In response to widespread reports and public speculation, Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) clarified that the partnership with the US is strictly centred on capacity building and does not involve combat missions.

According to the DHQ, areas of cooperation include professional military education, intelligence exchange, logistics assistance and strategic dialogue aimed at tackling terrorism and other shared threats.

In a statement, the Director of Defence Information, Maj Gen Samaila Uba, emphasised that all bilateral engagements are conducted with full respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty and within established diplomatic and military frameworks.

The clarification comes amid heightened public interest over the presence of US troops in the country.

Earlier this week, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu received a high-level US delegation at the State House, Abuja. The delegation was led by Gen Anderson and included the US Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires, Keith Heffern. Discussions focused on strengthening defence ties and advancing regional security cooperation.

The latest development follows earlier tensions between both countries. In 2025, President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” over alleged religious persecution and warned of possible intervention if decisive action was not taken. The US subsequently carried out a targeted airstrike against terrorist elements in northern Nigeria.