DHQ Clarifies US Troop Withdrawal, Says Nigeria–US Security Partnership Remains Strong

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has clarified that the recent withdrawal of some United States troops from Nigeria involved personnel temporarily deployed for a specific counterterrorism mission in the Lake Chad Basin and does not affect the broader military partnership between both countries.

Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, made the clarification on Friday following reports suggesting that the United States had withdrawn its troops from Nigeria after completing a counterterrorism operation.

According to Uba, the troops that departed were part of an additional contingent deployed specifically for operations in the Lake Chad Basin, while the approximately 200 US military personnel involved in ongoing intelligence sharing and training missions remain in the country.

"The Commander was primarily talking about the additional forces that came to execute the mission in Lake Chad. The initial US personnel are still in Nigeria," Uba said.

He explained that the temporary deployment was always intended to last only for the duration of the operation and that the long-standing security partnership between Nigeria and the United States remains unchanged.

"The partnership between Nigeria and the US is unchanged, with key information sharing ongoing. As we saw in May, there are times that require additional forces to execute specific missions. Those forces are intended for short periods of time only," he added.

Uba noted that both countries would continue collaborating in the fight against terrorism, adding that additional personnel and resources could be deployed whenever operational requirements demand.

The clarification followed comments by the Commander of the US Air Forces in Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, who reportedly said the United States had withdrawn most of the troops deployed for the Lake Chad Basin mission after successfully completing the operation.

According to Anderson, the mission disrupted ISIS activities in the region and led to the elimination of a senior ISIS leader responsible for the group's global operations, media activities and recruitment efforts.

He stressed that although the temporary deployment had ended, the United States would continue supporting Nigeria through intelligence sharing and other forms of security cooperation at the request of the Nigerian government.

Anderson also described Nigeria as a key regional partner with a capable military, noting that intelligence collaboration between both countries has delivered significant gains in the fight against ISIS.