The first wave of United States military personnel has arrived in Nigeria, marking the commencement of a planned deployment of about 200 American intelligence analysts, advisers and trainers to support Nigerian forces in targeted counterterrorism operations.
A U.S. military aircraft touched down in Maiduguri on Thursday night, bringing in the initial contingent of approximately 100 personnel. Officials disclosed that additional troops and equipment would arrive steadily over the weekend and in the coming weeks as part of the phased deployment.
Speaking on Friday, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, a spokesman for the Nigerian defence authorities, clarified that the American personnel would focus strictly on training, intelligence and technical support roles.
“These personnel do not serve in a combat capacity and will not assume a direct operational role,” he said. “Nigerian forces retain full command authority, make all operational decisions and will lead all missions on Nigerian sovereign territory.”
According to officials, the deployment followed recommendations by a joint U.S.–Nigeria working group aimed at strengthening cooperation against extremist threats. A U.S. Defense Department official confirmed that the American troops would operate primarily from command posts, providing advisory assistance rather than participating directly in combat.
The joint mission is expected to cover several volatile regions, including northern states affected by insurgent activities of groups such as Boko Haram, as well as parts of the Middle Belt where attacks on Christian communities have been reported.
Authorities noted that, due to limited infrastructure in some of the remote areas where operations are planned, the initial phase would prioritise the establishment of secure communications systems, base infrastructure and operational security frameworks in collaboration with Nigerian forces.
Meanwhile, the first batch of newly trained Nigerian special forces has already been deployed to Plateau State as part of ongoing efforts to bolster security. Going forward, both countries are expected to deepen joint mission planning, integrating intelligence resources from both sides, including U.S. surveillance flights operating from Ghana.
The Pentagon described the mission as temporary and projected to last several months, although officials indicated that further deployments could be considered depending on operational outcomes.
