US Deploys Drones and Troops to Nigeria for Intelligence

The United States has deployed several MQ-9 drones and around 200 troops to Nigeria to bolster intelligence support in the fight against Islamist militants, as confirmed by Nigerian officials to Reuters. The U.S. troops are not embedded with Nigerian frontline units and are strictly focused on intelligence gathering, with no airstrikes planned as part of this operation.

The deployment follows a request from Nigeria and is part of a broader effort to enhance intelligence-sharing capabilities in the region. Major General Samaila Uba, the Director of Defence Information at Nigeria's Defence Headquarters, confirmed that U.S. assets are operating from Bauchi airfield in northeastern Nigeria to support a newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell.

The U.S. partners maintain a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities. This deployment is part of a larger strategy to monitor militant activities across the Sahel region, with the U.S. having previously invested around $100 million in drone bases in neighboring Niger.