About 100 American service members have deployed to Nigeria in a non-combat advisory role aimed at strengthening counterterrorism operations.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters confirmed that approximately 100 U.S. troops have arrived in the country to assist in training and advisory efforts intended to strengthen Nigeria’s response to extremist threats.
Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, announced Feb. 16 that the deployment was made at Nigeria’s request to the U.S. government. The personnel will provide military training, technical support, and intelligence-sharing assistance.
Uba stated that the U.S. forces will serve strictly “in an advisory and training capacity” and will not participate in combat operations. He added that all activities will occur under the direction and authority of the Nigerian government.
“Nigerian troops, alongside these advisers, will commence a series of joint training engagements and intelligence focused cooperation initiatives,” Uba said. “These activities are designed to enhance the capacity of Nigerian troops to effectively identify and neutralize extremist terrorist groups seeking to destabilize the nation.”
The deployment follows a Feb. 3 announcement from U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), which oversees American military operations on the continent, that a team of specialists would be sent to Nigeria to help train its armed forces in combating extremist organizations.
In December, U.S. forces carried out airstrikes against ISIS targets in northwest Nigeria following authorization from President Donald Trump. In a Dec. 25, 2025 post on Truth Social, Trump accused the terrorist group of “viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even centuries.”
“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump wrote. “The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper.”
In November, Trump stated that Christianity in Nigeria faced “an existential threat,” citing reports of thousands of Christians killed by Islamist militants. He designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, a classification that can trigger sanctions, and warned that U.S. assistance could be suspended if Nigerian authorities failed to respond.
A 2025 report from the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), a Nigeria-based nongovernmental organization, reported that more than 7,000 Christians were killed and 7,800 kidnapped in Nigeria during the first seven months of 2025. The group attributed the violence to Islamist organizations including Boko Haram and jihadist Fulani militants.
Nigerian officials have disputed claims that Christians are uniquely targeted, stating that Boko Haram and ISIS West Africa attack individuals regardless of faith.
The current U.S. deployment marks a continuation of security cooperation between the two countries, focused on training and intelligence support rather than direct combat engagement.
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