US Boosts Nigeria’s Anti-Terror Fight with Drones, Troops Deployment

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The United States has deployed multiple MQ-9 drones and about 200 troops to Nigeria to support the fight against Islamist militants, according to a report by Reuters.

Officials from both countries said the US troops are not involved in frontline combat. Instead, they are providing training and intelligence support to Nigerian forces. The drones are also being used mainly for surveillance and intelligence gathering, not air strikes.

A US defence official described the move as a response to a “shared security threat.”

Earlier reports revealed that the US requested the establishment of a drone refuelling station as part of the security partnership with Nigeria. The agreement came after former US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a country of particular concern.

Nigeria reportedly agreed to the request and selected a state in the north-east to host the facility.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) confirmed that US military personnel and equipment arrived at Bauchi airfield. According to DHQ spokesperson Samaila Uba, the deployment is part of an ongoing security agreement between both countries.

Uba said US forces are operating from the north-east and remain in a strictly non-combat role.

“This support builds on the US-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which is providing useful intelligence to our commanders,” he said.

He added that the duration of the deployment will be decided jointly by both countries.

MQ-9 drones, also known as “Reaper drones,” can stay in the air for over 27 hours. While they are capable of carrying out air strikes, officials say they are currently being used for surveillance in Nigeria.

Although details were not given, Nigerian authorities said US intelligence support is helping troops identify, track, and respond to terrorist threats.

In a separate development, the US reportedly carried out strikes on terrorist locations in Sokoto State on Christmas Day. While early reports suggested the use of Tomahawk missiles, later information indicated that drones may have been used instead.

The US has also been conducting surveillance flights over parts of Nigeria, with aircraft often taking off from Accra in Ghana, which serves as a logistics hub for US military operations in Africa.

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