Details have emerged surrounding the scope of Nigeria’s evolving military partnership with the United States, following a series of strategic engagements and operations sparked by rising security concerns and international attention.
The intensified collaboration gained momentum after US President, Donald Trump, re-designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) in October over alleged Christian persecution, a move the Nigerian government repeatedly denied.
A month later, Trump threatened to send American troops into Nigeria to “wipe out the terrorists killing Christians,” raising concerns over international law and sovereignty.
In response, President Bola Tinubu dispatched National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to Washington for a high-level meeting with US Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth.
Following the meeting, Hegseth revealed the US was “working aggressively” with Nigeria to end religiously motivated violence by jihadist groups, though no specifics were provided.
Soon after, contractor-operated US surveillance flights began operating from Ghana into Nigerian airspace. While initially unclear, the flights preceded a Christmas Day missile strike on terrorist camps in Bauni forest, Sokoto State, executed with US drone technology, not Tomahawk cruise missiles as earlier speculated.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the operation was the result of coordinated intelligence sharing and described it as in line with “established international practice and bilateral understanding.”
Communities in Sokoto and Kwara States reported explosions during the airstrikes. The federal government later confirmed that debris from US-fired precision-guided munitions (PGMs) had landed in Kwara.
Drone Refuelling Station Proposed In Nigeria
According to insiders who spoke with The Cable, the US has proposed setting up a drone refuelling station in Nigeria to extend surveillance and strike capabilities beyond Ghana. While Lagos and Abuja were suggested, Nigeria opted for a north-eastern state already housing local drone operations.
A top government source said, “We’re not going to have boots on the ground. They are only going to support Nigeria either in equipment or intelligence… not in a fighting capacity.
“It would possibly be an advisory capacity, maybe training, which are already ongoing.”
The planned station would allow US military logistics teams to fly into Nigeria from Ghana to coordinate with Nigerian forces.
On Tuesday, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) General Dagvin Anderson confirmed the deployment of a “small team” of US troops to Nigeria, marking the first public acknowledgement of such presence since the Christmas Day operation.
While the announcement sparked debate, a Nigerian official clarified that AFRICOM has maintained a presence in Nigeria, with only a shift in the scope of its assignment.
The new scope, TheCable learned, falls under the mandate of the US 3rd Special Forces Group, which specialises in unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism, special reconnaissance, foreign internal defence, information operations, and security force assistance.
Defence Minister Confirms Advisory Role
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, affirmed the presence of US personnel but emphasised they are not combat troops.
“It’s a small advisory team supporting intelligence gathering and training,” Musa said, without disclosing details of size, base location, or duration of stay.
A government source confirmed the team’s involvement in coordinating the Christmas Day airstrikes, further signalling a deeper operational alignment between US and Nigerian forces.
Bilateral discussions between officials, such as NSA Ribadu and US Under-Secretary of State Allison Hooker, are ongoing as both countries fine-tune the scope of their military collaboration to tackle terrorism.
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