The United States is set to withdraw about 200 American troops deployed to Nigeria earlier this year to support the country’s fight against Islamist militants.
The withdrawal is expected to be completed by late September, according to a report by The New York Times, which said the move does not signal the end of Washington’s security partnership with Abuja.
Instead, smaller teams of American military trainers and intelligence personnel are expected to remain in Nigeria to support Nigerian-led counterterrorism operations.
The development follows a series of joint US-Nigerian operations targeting extremist groups in the North-East, including an operation in the Lake Chad Basin that killed Abu Bilal al-Minuki, whom US officials identified as a senior Islamic State figure and the group’s global second-in-command.
A Pentagon spokesperson for US Africa Command, Colonel Becky Heyse, described the joint approach as effective.
“Our recent joint efforts in Nigeria are a prime example of how this tailored, temporary footprint can yield significant security returns,” she said.
According to The New York Times, Washington’s decision to scale down the deployment followed an assessment that the larger contingent had accomplished the primary objectives of the mission for which it was deployed.
The United States had expanded its military presence in Nigeria in February amid growing security concerns, with American and Nigerian forces working together on intelligence-driven operations against extremist targets, particularly in the North-East.
Despite the planned drawdown, US officials are expected to maintain security cooperation with Nigeria through intelligence support, training and other forms of military assistance.
