U.S. Deploys Troops and Drones for Nigeria's Security

The United States has deployed around 200 troops and multiple MQ-9 drones to Nigeria to assist in intelligence support for the Nigerian military's ongoing fight against insurgency in the northern region. This deployment, confirmed by General Samaila Uba, Director of Defense Information at Nigeria's Defense Headquarters, is strictly focused on surveillance and advisory support, with no U.S. personnel embedded in frontline units and no drone airstrikes being conducted.

The U.S. forces are operating from Bauchi airfield in northeast Nigeria, supporting the establishment of a new intelligence fusion cell. This deployment comes in response to a request from Nigerian authorities to help identify and track terrorist threats, particularly amid escalating violence from groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The operation underscores a commitment to intelligence sharing and capacity building to address evolving insurgent threats across northern Nigeria.