Abuja, Nigeria – The United States military stationed multiple MQ-9 Reaper drones and roughly 200 troops in Nigeria to bolster intelligence and training against Boko Haram, ISWAP, and al-Qaeda affiliates terrorizing northern regions, operating from Bauchi airfield without frontline combat roles.
Okay News reports Reuters confirmation from U.S. and Nigerian officials, with a U.S. defense source stating “We see this as a shared security threat” for surveillance-only missions requested by Nigeria, while Major General Samaila Uba affirmed the U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell feeds actionable data to Nigerian commanders preserving operational sovereignty.
The non-combat support follows late 2025 U.S. airstrikes in northwest Nigeria—Christmas Day operations targeting civilian threats especially Christians—and builds on January’s fresh military supplies; MQ-9s offer 27+ hour high-altitude loitering for tracking across Benin-Niger borders where banditry risks jihadist expansion.
This marks Washington’s Sahel recalibration after Niger junta expelled 1,000 troops from a $100M drone base in 2024 amid anti-Western coups, with prior Ghana-based flights covering Nigeria; 17-year insurgency sees urban strikes like March 16 northeastern garrison suicide bombing under probe.
Partnership enhances Nigeria’s terrorist identification and response capacity through longstanding training and equipment ties, countering militants’ tactical evolution maintaining Lake Chad Basin relevance threatening regional stability and global networks.
Amid Sahel power vacuums, U.S. intelligence pivot strengthens Nigerian-led counterterrorism, filling gaps left by withdrawn Western footprints while navigating sovereignty concerns in Africa’s counter-jihadist frontline.
