The United States has deployed multiple MQ-9 drones and about 200 troops to Nigeria to support the fight against Islamist militants, according to US and Nigerian officials who spoke to Reuters.
US officials said the troops are not embedded with Nigerian frontline units, while the drones are focused solely on intelligence gathering and are not conducting airstrikes.
The US military previously operated a $100 million drone base in neighboring Niger Republic, with about 1,000 troops tracking militant activity across the Sahel.
However, the facility was shut down in 2024 after Niger’s military government ordered US forces to leave.
A US defence official said the drones were deployed alongside troops at Nigeria’s request, primarily to support intelligence-gathering efforts.
“We see this as a shared security threat,” the official told Reuters.
Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, confirmed that US assets are being operated from the Bauchi airfield in the North-East.
“This support builds on the newly established US-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to our field commanders,” he told Reuters.
“Our US partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities.”
