Nigeria revealed that it received about 100 American soldiers and their equipment at Bauchi Airport, as part of an advisory and training mission to combat insecurity, stressing that they are not combat forces in light of the continuing jihadist insurgency and violence across the country.
Published on: 02/17/2026 - 01:54 Last updated: 02/17/2026 - 07:26
The Nigerian Ministry of Defense reported Monday that about 100 American military personnel are preparing to deploy to the country, as part of strengthening cooperation to combat insecurity.
The ministry did not clarify the timing of the arrival of the “US Army trainers” in Nigeria, nor the expected date of the arrival of those who have not yet arrived.
The Ministry's statement said, "The Chief of Defense Staff would like to announce the arrival of about 100 US Army personnel and their equipment to Bauchi Airport."
She also indicated that the arrival of the soldiers was “planned” and came in response to “an official request submitted by the Federal Government of Nigeria to the American government to support clear and specific military training requirements, and to provide technical support and exchange of intelligence information with elements of the Nigerian Armed Forces.”
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Nigeria has been suffering for years from a rebellion in its northeast, bloody conflicts between farmers and herders in the north-central regions, in addition to acts of violence carried out by separatist movements in the southeast, and kidnappings for ransom in the northwest.
Recent months have witnessed repeated American criticism of Nigeria's inability to contain violence, with President Donald Trump denouncing what he described as the "persecution" of Christians, while attacks launched by jihadist groups and criminal gangs target Muslims and Christians alike.
On December 25, the US military carried out air strikes in the Nigerian state of Sokoto, before the Nigerian authorities later announced that the operation was coordinated with them and targeted ISIS members.
As for the announced deployment, the Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff confirmed that the American elements are “technical experts who perform their duties exclusively within an advisory and training framework, and are not combat forces.”
France 24/AFP
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