The New York Times reported that a U.S. military plane landed in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Thursday night, with additional aircraft and personnel expected to arrive gradually as part of a phased deployment
Over the weekend, reports emerged that United States military aircraft and an initial contingent of American troops have touched down in north-east Nigeria, signalling a possible deepening of counter-terrorism collaboration between Nigeria and the United States.
The New York Times reported that a U.S. military plane landed in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Thursday night, with additional aircraft and personnel expected to arrive gradually as part of a phased deployment.
Eyewitnesses said more planes were observed at the Maiduguri airbase by Friday evening, with equipment and personnel being unloaded.
According to U.S. defence sources cited by the newspaper, the contingent is expected to number around 200 and will include intelligence analysts, advisers, and trainers.
Their role is to assist Nigerian forces in planning, intelligence operations, and other non-combat counter-terrorism activities.
A Department of Defense official described the flights as “the advance element of a series of C-17 transport missions to three key locations in Nigeria,” suggesting further deployments could follow in the coming weeks.
The report noted that Nigerian authorities have confirmed the U.S. personnel are not authorised to engage in direct combat, with operational command remaining with Nigeria’s military.
Security analysts said the deployment fits within the framework of existing bilateral defence cooperation, which focuses on training, intelligence sharing, and technical support against extremist groups in the Lake Chad Basin, including factions associated with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
As of press time, neither the Presidency nor the Nigerian military had officially commented on the reported arrival, leaving the precise scope of the deployment unclear.
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