The Pathfinder
Thursday February 5, 2026
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The United States has officially deployed military personnel to Nigerian soil, marking the first formal acknowledgment of American boots on the ground since high-profile airstrikes targeted Islamic State positions in December.
Gen. Dagvin Anderson of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) revealed that the deployment is the result of a strategic agreement with Nigerian authorities aimed at intensifying the offensive against Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
While Gen. Anderson described the team as “unique,” he declined to provide specific details regarding the number of troops or their precise operational roles.
Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, has confirmed the American presence, signaling a deepening of bilateral security ties. According to a former U.S. official familiar with the mission, the team is primarily tasked with intelligence gathering and providing technical support to local Nigerian forces rather than direct combat.
The deployment comes as the Northwest remains the focal point of a brutal 17-year insurgency. Joint operations in the region are already yielding results; a recent precision strike in Sokoto State reportedly neutralized several high-ranking ISIS militants.
This military escalation coincides with heightened rhetoric from the White House. President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced concerns over the security climate in Nigeria, warning that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in the region.
The President has been a vocal critic of the Nigerian government’s past handling of the crisis, urging more decisive action to protect vulnerable and persecuted communities.
The presence of U.S. troops is seen by analysts as both a tactical boost for the Nigerian military and a response to international pressure to stabilize the Sahel and Lake Chad regions.
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