Oluwanifemi Ibikunle
The Defence Headquarters has said the planned withdrawal of about 200 United States military personnel from Nigeria does not amount to a breakdown or termination of the security partnership between Abuja and Washington.
The military said the reduction in the number of US personnel was a mission-specific adjustment linked to evolving operational requirements and should not be interpreted as a sign that Nigeria had lost the confidence or support of its American security partner.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, stated this on Tuesday while responding to journalists’ questions during a security briefing organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre.
Uba said the Armed Forces of Nigeria had received several enquiries following reports of the planned troop withdrawal, prompting the military to clarify the development.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to clarify that the reported withdrawal of about 200 United States personnel should not be interpreted as a breakdown or termination of the Nigeria-United States security partnership,” he said.
According to him, the Nigeria-US defence relationship remains “strong, enduring, and mutually beneficial.”
He explained that the deployment of American personnel to Nigeria was tied to specific operational and counter-terrorism objectives, adding that changes in deployment were therefore part of the evolving nature of military cooperation.
Uba said crucial areas of bilateral security cooperation, including intelligence sharing, military training, technical assistance and information exchange, remained intact.
“Our cooperation with the United States is designed to strengthen our capabilities through intelligence sharing, training, technical assistance and other forms of professional military cooperation,” he said.
The military spokesman stressed that the primary responsibility for Nigeria’s defence remained with the country’s security forces, while foreign partnerships were designed to strengthen their capabilities.
He added that cooperation between Nigeria and the US had continued to produce useful results in the fight against terrorism and other transnational security threats.
Uba consequently urged the media and members of the public against interpreting the troop reduction as evidence of a collapse in Nigeria’s defence cooperation with the United States.
“We equally call on the media and the Nigerian public to avoid interpreting a routine or mission-specific adjustment in foreign military presence as evidence of a collapse in Nigeria’s security cooperation or national defence capability,” he said.
The deployment of US military personnel followed an agreement between the Nigerian and American governments after a US military strike against suspected Islamic State fighters.
The operation was publicly linked by US President Donald Trump to efforts to counter attacks allegedly targeting Christians.
Following the agreement, a small team of US personnel arrived in Nigeria in early February, with the deployment later expanding to about 200 personnel in the North-East.
The American personnel were initially expected to focus on intelligence, military education, logistics support and strategic dialogue rather than direct combat operations.
However, the cooperation later extended to a joint operation with Nigerian troops in the North-East, during which a senior commander of the Islamic State West Africa Province and other terrorists were reportedly killed.
The activities of the US personnel were largely concentrated in Borno State and other areas affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
The latest clarification by the Defence Headquarters comes amid renewed public attention over the future of US military involvement in Nigeria.
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