US Sends Troops, Equipment to Nigeria's Borno for Security Mission

(MENAFN) Three US military aircraft transporting personnel and equipment have landed in Maiduguri, signaling the beginning of a new bilateral security mission centered on support activities, officials confirmed.

Sources within Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters said roughly 100 American troops arrived between Thursday and Sunday as part of an initial phase of deployment, with further arrivals expected in the weeks ahead.

“As said last week, the American troops would focus on non-combat functions and operate primarily from command centers. Their job is to support our efforts here,” an official who spoke on condition of anonymity told Anadolu on Monday.

In earlier remarks cited by reports, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesperson for the Nigerian Defense Headquarters, emphasized that US personnel “do not serve in a combat capacity and will not assume a direct operational role.”

The deployment comes at a time of heightened scrutiny from Donald Trump, who has criticized Nigeria’s response to attacks affecting Christian communities. Although Christians have endured deadly assaults, violence has also claimed the lives of many Muslim civilians and others amid the country’s ongoing security crisis.

At the same time, Nigerian authorities have stepped up internal security efforts. The military recently announced the dispatch of special forces to Plateau State and Taraba State, both of which have faced recurring unrest.

While Nigerian officials have not clarified how long the US troops will remain, American authorities have indicated that the mission is intended to be temporary.

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