CITIZENS COMPASS— The United States has deployed multiple MQ-9 drones alongside about 200 troops to Nigeria in her fight against insurgency in her northern region.
The deployment was to support the military with intelligence gathering and training in the affected areas.
According to officials from both countries, the mission is strictly limited to surveillance and advisory roles, with no American personnel involved in frontline combat operations or drone strikes.
Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, confirmed that the U.S. was operating assets from Bauchi airfield in the northeast.
“The U.S. military has multiple MQ-9 drones operating in Nigeria alongside 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the military,” U.S. and Nigerian officials said.
The deployment, reported by Reuters, was requested by Nigerian authorities to enhance efforts in identifying, tracking, and responding to terrorist threats.
“We see this as a shared security threat,” a U.S. defence official said, emphasizing that the operation is focused on intelligence collection and advisory support.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters confirmed that the U.S. personnel are operating from an airfield in Bauchi State.
“This support builds on the newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to our field commanders. Our U.S. partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities,” said Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information.
The MQ-9 drones—also known as Reaper drones—are capable of staying airborne for over 27 hours and can be used for both surveillance and strike missions. However, officials stressed that those currently deployed in Nigeria are being used solely for intelligence gathering.
“Our US forces are helping Nigeria identify, track and respond to terrorist threats,” Uba added.
The deployment comes amid rising insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria, including recent attacks attributed to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
“We continue to assess that these organisations will seek opportunistic targets and may attempt to demonstrate relevance through high-visibility attacks,” Uba said.
Authorities noted that the duration of the U.S. mission will depend on ongoing agreements between both countries, highlighting a growing emphasis on intelligence-sharing and capacity-building to address evolving security threats.
