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Some 100 U.S. soldiers are being deployed to Nigeria arsenic portion of accrued subject practice to combat insecurity successful the West African country, the Nigerian Defence Ministry announced Monday (February 16, 2026).
The Ministry did not specify erstwhile the “U.S. subject trainers” arrived oregon were owed to arrive.
“The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) wishes to denote the accomplishment of astir 100 United States subject unit and associated instrumentality astatine Bauchi Airfield,” the connection said.
“The accomplishment is planned and deliberate pursuing a ceremonial petition by the Federal Government of Nigeria to the U.S. authorities to enactment a intelligibly defined subject grooming requirement, method enactment and quality sharing with the members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”
Nigeria is facing a longstanding jihadist insurgency successful the northeast, a struggle betwixt farmers and herders successful north-central regions, separatist unit successful the southeast, and kidnappings for ransom successful the northwest.
U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that Christians successful Nigeria are being “persecuted” and are victims of “genocide” perpetrated by “terrorists”.
But Abuja and astir autarkic experts accidental the unit successful Nigeria indiscriminately affects some Christians and Muslims.
On December 25, the U.S. subject conducted airstrikes successful Nigeria’s Sokoto State. Nigerian authorities subsequently said the enactment was coordinated with them and it targeted Islamic State jihadists.
For the announced deployment, Nigeria’s DHQ said: “The U.S. unit are method specialists serving strictly successful an advisory and grooming capacity. They are not combat forces.”
