A top US general said the United States has deployed a small military team to Nigeria, where President Donald Trump’s administration has alternately pressured and aided the government as it fights jihadist violence.
Speaking after the United States launched strikes targeting militants in Nigeria on December 25, General Dagvin Anderson, head of the US Africa Command (Africom), said the two countries had decided to “increase collaboration”.
“We agreed that we needed to work together on the way forward in the region,” Anderson told a virtual news conference on Tuesday.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States in order to augment what Nigeria has been doing for several years.”
The general did not give details on the team’s activities.
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Trump has alleged there is a “genocide” of Christians in Nigeria, a claim rejected by the Nigerian government and many independent experts, who say the country’s security crises claim the lives of both Christians and Muslims, often without distinction.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is broadly split between a Christian-majority south and Muslim-majority north.
Africom told AFP last month the US military would increase equipment deliveries and intelligence sharing with Nigeria as part of efforts to fight Islamic State group jihadists.
The US strikes in December hit IS targets in Sokoto State, northwestern Nigeria.
Africom said US military support would be concentrated in that region and the northeast, hit by nearly two decades of unrest blamed on Islamist group Boko Haram and a splinter movement, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
In December 2025, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu hosted a delegation from the United States Congress in Abuja, for security discussions between Nigeria and the US.
Ribadu noted that the visit follows prior meetings in Washington, D.C., which focused on areas of mutual security interest and cooperation.
He also noted that US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, attended the meeting, highlighting what Ribadu described as “the significance both countries place on this partnership.”
Ribadu said the discussions centred on counter-terrorism collaboration, promoting regional stability, and exploring ways to further strengthen the strategic security partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
“I’m optimistic this engagement will deepen trust, collaboration, and shared commitment to peace and security,” he said.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of heightened diplomatic tensions, following US President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious freedom violations, a move that included warnings of potential US military involvement.
The Federal Government has consistently rejected allegations of widespread persecution of Christians, emphasising that insecurity impacts citizens across all faiths.
Source: Channels TV
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