Nigeria’s military has clarified that approximately 200 United States troops expected to arrive in the country in the coming weeks will not participate in combat operations but will instead focus on training and advisory support.
The clarification was issued on Wednesday by the Defence Headquarters following remarks by a US official indicating that the Pentagon planned to deploy personnel to assist Nigerian forces battling Islamist militant groups.
Defence Headquarters spokesperson, Major General Samaila Uba, stated that the US personnel would provide technical and tactical training at designated military locations across the country. He stressed that the deployment would not alter Nigeria’s command structure or sovereignty.
“Nigerian forces retain full command authority and will lead all missions on sovereign territory,” Uba said, underscoring that operational control remains entirely with Nigeria’s armed forces.
The planned deployment comes amid ongoing security challenges in parts of northern Nigeria, where armed groups linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province continue to stage attacks on military targets and civilian communities.
The development also follows recent remarks by US President Donald Trump, who announced that American forces had carried out airstrikes on what he described as Islamic State targets in Nigeria. Nigerian authorities have not publicly confirmed details of those reported strikes but have maintained that collaboration with international partners is aimed at strengthening counterterrorism capacity.
Security analysts say the advisory mission reflects continued US-Nigeria defence cooperation, which has historically included intelligence sharing, counterterrorism training and military equipment support.
The Nigerian military reiterated that the partnership is designed to enhance local capabilities while ensuring that all operations remain under national command and in line with domestic and international law.
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