The United States has deployed 100 troops to northern Nigeria to train and advise local security forces as violence escalates from armed groups, including Boko Haram and factions linked to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS).
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters spokesperson, Samaila Uba, confirmed that the American personnel arrived in Bauchi in the northeast on Monday. He explained that the team would provide technical assistance and intelligence-sharing support, alongside related equipment, to strengthen operations against what he described as terrorist organisations.
Uba emphasised that the US troops will not engage in direct combat and will operate strictly under Nigerian command authority. He reaffirmed the Nigerian military’s determination to defeat armed groups threatening the country’s sovereignty and citizens, according to remarks reported by Premium Times.
The deployment comes after a deadly weekend in which gunmen riding motorcycles attacked three northern villages, killing at least 46 people and abducting several others. The deadliest assault occurred in Konkoso, Niger State, where at least 38 residents were either shot or killed with machetes.
The move also follows recent diplomatic tensions between Washington and Abuja. Last year, US President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of failing to curb violence against Christians and warned of possible military intervention. Nigerian officials rejected the claim, while analysts noted that victims of armed groups include people from multiple religious backgrounds.
In December, US forces carried out air strikes targeting ISIL-linked fighters in northwestern Nigeria Nigeria. More recently, the head of United States Africa Command confirmed that a small team of US officers had been working in Nigeria on intelligence support following talks in Abuja.
Nigeria continues to grapple with numerous armed factions battling for control, including Boko Haram and its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Other groups involved in kidnapping and illegal mining activities, as well as fighters from the Sahel such as Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), have further intensified the conflict.
According to the United Nations, several thousand people have been killed in the prolonged violence. While some Christians have been targeted, observers say most victims are Muslims in the predominantly Muslim north, where attacks are concentrated.
Nigeria, a nation of about 240 million people, is almost evenly divided between Christians, largely in the south, and Muslims, mainly in the north.