THE United States on Tuesday confirmed that a small team of its military personnel had been sent to Nigeria to support counterterrorism efforts.
The officer in charge of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), Dagvin Anderson, disclosed this at a press briefing.
According to Reuters, Anderson said the US team was sent after Nigeria and Ghana agreed that more work needed to be done to combat the terrorist threat in West Africa, confirming reports that the US had been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria.
However, the officer did not provide further details about the size and scope of his country’s mission. Nigeria’s Defence Minister, Christopher Musa, also confirmed that a team was working in Nigeria but did not provide further details.
This is the first official confirmation of US troops presence on Nigerian soil since Washington carried out airstrikes in Sokoto State on 2025 Christmas Day.
The ICIR reported that Washington has intensified pressure on Nigeria following accusations by President Donald Trump that the west African country failed to adequately protect Christian communities from Islamist militant groups operating in the North.
Trump added Nigeria to countries on watchlist for Christian genocide on October 31, referencing alleged grave violations of religious freedom, including the persecution of Christians.
He alleged that Christianity faced an existential threat in Nigeria, with thousands of Christians reportedly killed by radical Islamist groups.
After warning that the US could take action including the possibility of military intervention if Nigeria failed to address the issue, Trump ordered airstrikes on what he described as Islamic State targets in Nigeria on December 25, 2025, and said there could be more US military action against the criminals.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.