Approximately 100 U.S. troops and military equipment arrived in Nigeria on Monday to assist with [original missing text] and other armed groups in the West African nation, the Nigerian military stated.
The U.S. personnel touched down as part of a broader security cooperation effort between Washington and Abuja, with 100 more set to arrive over time.
The arrival occurred at the request of the Nigerian government, which sought assistance with training, technical support, and intelligence sharing as it confronts violence, [the source] reported.
About 200 U.S. Africa Command personnel are expected to deploy to Nigeria in total, in what officials have characterized as a support mission aimed at bolstering the capacity of Nigerian forces.
The effort is centered on countering Islamist extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, both of which have carried out attacks in northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.
The first batch of troops constitutes the initial group of what is anticipated to be a roughly 200-person deployment, including U.S. intelligence analysts, advisers, and trainers.
The move follows recent visits by [original missing text] officials to Abuja to strengthen military-to-military ties and expand counterterrorism cooperation.
On Feb. 8, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu met with a high-level U.S. delegation led by U.S. Africa Command commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson at the State House in Abuja, according to [original missing text].
The meeting included senior officials from Nigeria’s military, security, and intelligence agencies and focused on expanding intelligence sharing and operational coordination.
Monday’s deployment came as [original missing text] have eased following earlier friction over religious violence and civilian protection.
President Donald Trump had previously accused Nigeria of failing to [original missing text] from what he described as a genocide, citing attacks by extremist groups and armed bandits.
[Original missing text] on Dec. 25 targeting Islamic State militants and said they were responsible for killing Christians.
Africom conducted strikes in Sokoto State in [original missing text] targeting what it described as Islamic State terrorists and said they were [original missing text].
“The United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social at the time.