The United States has announced that it has withdrawn most of its military personnel deployed to Nigeria for a joint counterterrorism mission in the Lake Chad Basin, while maintaining intelligence-sharing and other security cooperation with Nigerian authorities.
The Commander of the US Air Forces in Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, announced the development during a virtual press briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.
Anderson said the partnership between Washington and Abuja remains strong, particularly in intelligence operations targeting the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh).
According to him, the specific mission that required the deployment of US troops has been successfully completed, leading to the withdrawal of most of the personnel. He, however, stressed that the United States would continue providing intelligence support at the request of the Nigerian government.
“And so that operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region; it also helps countries globally as it disrupts the ISIS network,” Anderson said.
“And so we have withdrawn much of our forces that were there specifically for that operation, but we are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to support intelligence sharing and provide the understanding necessary to prosecute these difficult tasks.”
The US Air Force commander described Nigeria as a key regional partner with a capable military, noting that cooperation between both countries has yielded significant gains in the fight against ISIS.
He credited intelligence collaboration between the two nations with enabling the operation that eliminated Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-highest-ranking leader of ISIS, who was responsible for much of the group’s global operations, media activities and recruitment.
“I think the partnership we’ve shown recently with Nigeria demonstrates what can be achieved. Nigeria is a capable country with a strong economy, a large, educated population and a professional military,” Anderson said.
“There are things we have learned over years of counterterrorism operations that we were able to integrate with Nigeria’s efforts. By combining intelligence sharing with unique US capabilities, we were able to support a cooperative operation that eliminated the number two leader of ISIS.”
According to Anderson, the operation highlights the effectiveness of intelligence collaboration rather than prolonged foreign troop deployments.
“As we move forward, this is the model we want to pursue—bringing unique US capabilities that enable our partners to be more effective in confronting terrorist threats,” he added.
The US commander also called for stronger intelligence cooperation among African countries to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes.
He cited a recent multinational operation that intercepted a record 31-ton shipment of cocaine originating from South America and transiting through the West African coastline. According to him, intelligence sharing among partner nations made the seizure possible.
“I coordinated through our interagency partners in the United States, through AFRICOM, and informed regional partners. Eventually, it was a Spanish naval vessel that intercepted the ship carrying 31 tons of cocaine—the largest drug seizure at sea on record,” Anderson said.
He stressed that sustained collaboration among African governments, international partners and the private sector would be essential to addressing security challenges, promoting economic growth and attracting investment across the continent.
The United States deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria in February 2026 to support intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin as both countries expanded cooperation against ISIS and other extremist groups operating in the region.
The deployment followed US President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and his pledge to strengthen American support for Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
On December 25, 2025, US forces carried out airstrikes on two terrorist camps in the Bauni Forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The security partnership recorded a major breakthrough in May 2026 when a joint US-Nigerian operation killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, during a raid on his hideout in Borno State.
