US Deploys Drones and Troops to Support Nigerian Military Against Insurgents

The United States has deployed multiple MQ-9 drones and 200 troops to Nigeria to assist the Nigerian military in combating Islamist militants in the northern regions. According to officials from both countries, the U.S. personnel are not engaged in frontline combat; instead, the drones are being used solely for intelligence gathering, not for conducting airstrikes.

This deployment follows U.S. airstrikes targeting militants in northwest Nigeria in late 2025, indicating a renewed U.S. involvement in addressing insurgencies linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda that are spreading across West Africa.

Previously, the U.S. operated a $100 million drone base in neighboring Niger with about 1,000 troops monitoring militants across the Sahel region. However, this base was closed in 2024 after the Nigerien junta requested their departure, reflecting a broader rejection of Western military support by countries in the Sahel region.

A recent assault by suicide bombers on a northeastern Nigerian garrison town highlighted the persistent threat of the 17-year insurgency, which continues to target urban centers. Additionally, militants have intensified attacks in the northwest, near the borders with Benin and Niger, where a longstanding banditry crisis risks evolving into another operational zone for Islamist groups.

A U.S. defense official stated that the drones were deployed alongside troops at the request of the Nigerian government to collect intelligence, emphasizing the shared security threat. Major General Samaila Uba, director of defense information at Nigeria's Defence Headquarters, confirmed that the U.S. is operating assets from Bauchi airfield in the northeast. He noted that this support builds on the newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to field commanders. Uba emphasized that U.S. partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities.

Uba mentioned that the timeline for the U.S. deployment in Nigeria would be determined through mutual agreement. While MQ-9 drones, also known as Reaper drones, can be used for both intelligence gathering and airstrikes, both Uba and the U.S. official declined to comment on specific instances where U.S. intelligence had led to Nigerian targeting of militants. However, Uba stated that U.S. forces are assisting Nigeria in identifying, tracking, and responding to terrorist threats.

Late last year, reports indicated that aircraft based in Ghana had been conducting intelligence-gathering flights for the U.S. military over Nigeria.

The United States, which has a longstanding partnership with Nigeria's military, providing training and selling weapons, carried out airstrikes in the northwest on Christmas Day to prevent attacks targeting Christians in the region. Nigeria's government and conflict experts have rejected claims of a concerted anti-Christian campaign, stating that such assertions oversimplify a complex crisis.

It remains unclear who was responsible for the March 16 attack on the garrison town. Uba indicated that the incident is still under investigation, adding that both Boko Haram militants and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), an Islamic State-allied faction, remain persistent threats, continually adapting their tactics. He noted that these organizations are likely to seek opportunistic targets and may attempt to demonstrate relevance through high-visibility attacks.