Abuja: The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed the arrival of 100 United States military personnel in Nigeria to provide specialised training support for the Armed Forces in counter-terrorism operations.
Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Uba confirmed the U.S. personnel and equipment are at Bauchi Airfield as part of ongoing bilateral defence cooperation.
He said Nigeria formally requested military training, technical support, and intelligence-sharing from the U.S. Government.
He added that this partnership resulted from joint discussions between Nigerian and U.S. defence representatives.
He emphasised that U.S. personnel are advisers and trainers only, not combat forces.
He said all actions would follow the direction of the Nigerian Government and be closely coordinated with the Armed Forces.
He noted that the cooperation would provide access to specialised technical capabilities to enhance Nigeria’s ability to deter terrorist threats and strengthen the protection of vulnerable communities.
Nigerian troops and U.S. advisers will start joint training and intelligence activities against extremist groups.
Uba reiterated the military’s commitment to defeating terrorists, promising transparency and updates on the partnership.
