“We have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation.”
The Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), Dagvin Anderson, has announced that the US has withdrawn most of the troops deployed to support a recent counterterrorism operation in Nigeria, while continuing intelligence sharing and other forms of security cooperation with the country.
The deployment of the troops started with what the US described as a “small team” in early February, following a mutual agreement between the United States and the Nigerian government that was reached after the US launched an attack against suspected ISIS fighters, which US President Donald Trump said were targeting Christians.
The agreement aimed to strengthen efforts against terrorist threats in the West African country.
By mid-February, PREMIUM TIMES reported that about 200 US troops had been deployed to north-east Nigeria. While Nigerians raised questions about the involvement of foreign forces in internal security affairs, military authorities explained that the US forces will not participate in direct combat operations.
Samaila Uba, the spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, said the US troops will only provide military education, intelligence sharing, logistics support and strategic dialogue aimed at addressing shared security concerns, including terrorism and transnational threats.
However, the troops later engaged in a combat operation in conjunction with Nigerian soldiers, killing a top commander of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other terrorists in the North-east.
The troops’ operations are believed to have been focused on the North-east, particularly the Boko Haram-ravaged Borno State.
Mr Anderson made the disclosure on Thursday during a virtual press briefing after the 2026 African Chiefs of Defence Conference in Luanda, Angola.
The disclosure was first reported by Punch. This newspaper, however, listened to the 31-minute recorded virtual briefing, where Mr Anderson stated: “We have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation.”
“They are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing and the understanding that’s necessary,” he added.
However, the AFRICOM commander did not specify the number of troops involved, when they were withdrawn, or where they had been stationed in Nigeria.
Neither the Nigerian military nor the federal government had issued any statement on the reported withdrawal as of the time of filing this report. AFRICOM has also not released a separate public statement announcing the withdrawal.
Explaining the US approach to supporting African-led security efforts, Mr Anderson, a general, cited Nigeria as an example of a successful partnership.
“I think the partnership that we’ve shown recently with Nigeria… eventually led to a cooperative effort where we were able to bring some unique capabilities that the US brings and be able to prosecute together the number two leader within the ISIS or Daesh organisation, who is responsible for much of their global operations, their global media, and their recruiting,” he said.
According to him, the operation in the Lake Chad Basin disrupted not only ISIS activities in the region but also affected the group’s global network.
The conference brought together military leaders from 35 African countries, US defence officials, and representatives of government agencies and private companies.
Mr Anderson said discussions focused on intelligence sharing, innovation, counterterrorism, maritime security and strengthening the link between security and economic development.
