The United States has quietly deployed a small team of military officers to Nigeria, marking a fresh step in deepening security cooperation between the two countries amid growing concerns over extremist violence.
The move was confirmed on Tuesday by the commander of U.S. Africa Command, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, who said the deployment followed talks with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in Rome late last year.
According to Anderson, the engagement has “led to increased collaboration between our nations,” including the arrival of a U.S. military team bringing “unique capabilities” to support Nigeria’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
The exact date of the team’s arrival remains unclear.
The deployment comes months after the United States carried out airstrikes on December 25 against an Islamic State–affiliated group operating in Nigeria, signaling a more assertive U.S. posture in the region.
Nigeria has recently been under intense diplomatic scrutiny from Washington, following repeated allegations by U.S. President Donald Trump that the country is failing to protect its Christian population.
Those claims culminated in Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern a U.S. congressional label for nations accused of severe religious persecution.
Abuja has strongly rejected allegations of a Christian genocide, insisting that armed groups target civilians indiscriminately, regardless of religious affiliation.
Despite the diplomatic friction, military ties between the two nations have continued to deepen. While the full scope of the cooperation remains undisclosed, the U.S. has supplied Nigeria with military hardware and conducted intelligence and reconnaissance missions across the country.
Nigeria continues to battle multiple armed groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, whose attacks have devastated communities across several regions.
Last month, gunmen launched coordinated assaults on three churches in Kaduna State, abducting at least 168 worshippers in one of the most brazen attacks in recent weeks.
