Trump deploys small detachment of US troops to Nigeria as part of his pledge to confront Islamists

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has set an unprecedented military tradition by sending a small detachment of American troops to Nigeria as part of his ambitious plans to confront Islamist militants operating in the country.

In November last year, President Trump declared that he has asked his generals to draw up plans regarding how to attack Nigeria in response to the incessant attacks on Christians by Islamic terrorists. He accused the Nigerian government of not doing enough to address the situation, standing by as Christians were being massacred across the north of the country.

Nigeria is currently suffering from the effects of insecurity as Boko Haram, the Islamic State of the West African Province, armed bandits and kidnappers have turned large swathes of the north of the country into no-go areas. However, in all these areas, both Christians Muslims are affected by the reign of terror, as the authorities are overwhelmed by the scale of the problem.

On Christmas day on December 25 2025, the US carried through President Trump's plan, with air strikes against suspected terrorist camps in Sokoto and Zamfara states. This has now been followed up with the deployment of ground troops and President Trump has indicated that further US military action could follow.

Apparently, the US had been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana since late November 2025, providing intelligence support ahead of the December strikes. According to a report from news agency Reuters, the latest deployment follows an agreement between the Nigerian government and Washington to deepen cooperation against growing terrorist threats in West Africa.

General Dagvin Anderson, the head of the US Africa Command, said: “That has led to increased collaboration between our nations to include a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States.” He did not disclose the size or specific role of the team but said it would support Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts.

Nigeria's defence minister, retired General Christopher Musa, also confirmed the team’s presence but declined to give further details. Security sources cited by Reuters said the Americans are likely involved in intelligence gathering and assisting Nigerian forces in targeting groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province.

Of late, Nigeria has faced intense pressure from Washington over its handling of terrorist attacks. Nigeria's government has stressed that its military operations target all armed groups that attack civilians, regardless of religion.