MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (SCANS) — The first contingent of U.S. troops and military aircraft has arrived in northeastern Nigeria, marking the start of a planned deployment to bolster security cooperation in the country’s long-running fight against Islamist militants, officials and reports said Saturday.
At least five U.S. military aircraft, including several large transport planes, touched down in Maiduguri, Borno State, between Thursday night and Friday, where equipment was being unloaded at a Nigerian Air Force base, according to local and international media accounts.
The arrival — described by analysts as a “vanguard” of a broader mission — comes ahead of a wider deployment of roughly 200 U.S. personnel expected over the coming days and weeks. Those forces are to serve in advisory, training and technical roles, not in direct combat, U.S. and Nigerian defence officials have said.
Nigeria has been engaged for more than a decade in counter-insurgency operations against groups including the Islamic State West Africa Province and Boko Haram, which operate largely in the northeast and have killed and displaced tens of thousands of civilians and troops.
Officials from both governments emphasised that Nigerian forces retain operational control of military operations and that U.S. forces will advise and assist rather than lead missions.
The deployment follows increased security cooperation between the United States and Nigeria, including previous U.S. reconnaissance operations in West Africa and earlier American airstrikes against militant positions.
Some local social media reports suggested U.S. aircraft carried ammunition and supplies for Nigerian forces; statements from defence sources and troop announcements did not directly confirm those claims.
Nigeria’s government has welcomed international support while stressing its sovereignty over security decisions amid persistent insurgent attacks that have continued to affect communities across the north.
