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Nigeria confirms withdrawal of 200 U.S. troops after counterterrorism mission
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Conflict & Security

Nigeria confirms withdrawal of 200 U.S. troops after counterterrorism mission

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources Ongoing story
  • Nigeria confirmed that about 200 U.S. military personnel have left the country after a deployment that supported bilateral counterterrorism cooperation.
  • Nigerian military spokesman Samaila Uba said the withdrawal did not end the security partnership and that Nigerian forces remain primarily responsible for defending the country.
  • The cooperation includes intelligence sharing, training and technical assistance amid continued attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP.

Nigeria has confirmed the withdrawal of about 200 U.S. military personnel, but its army says the move should not be read as the end of the two countries’ security relationship.

“The withdrawal of approximately 200 U.S. personnel should not be interpreted as a rupture or termination of the security partnership between the United States and Nigeria,” Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba said in Abuja.

The withdrawal of approximately 200 U.S. personnel should not be interpreted as a rupture or termination of the security partnership between the United States and Nigeria.

— Samaila UbaNigeria’s army spokesman addressed the departure of U.S. personnel.

Uba said cooperation had continued to produce valuable results in the fight against terrorism and other transnational security threats. He stressed, however, that responsibility for Nigeria’s defense and the protection of its citizens rests primarily with Nigerian security forces.

The partnership is designed to strengthen Nigeria’s capabilities through intelligence sharing, training, technical assistance and other forms of professional military cooperation. Uba described the security relationship as lasting and said he hoped cooperation would continue in areas of mutual interest.

The United States announced in February that a small military contingent had deployed to Nigeria. It was the first public acknowledgment of a U.S. troop presence there since Washington supported airstrikes against Islamic State in the country in December 2025. Nigerian authorities later said about 100 U.S. personnel had arrived after a formal request, including advisers and trainers who were not combat forces.

The responsibility for Nigeria’s defense and the protection of its citizens rests primarily with Nigerian security forces.

— Samaila UbaHe emphasized Nigeria’s primary role in national security.

The two countries agreed in November to establish a joint working group focused on training, intelligence sharing and counterterrorism operations. Those initiatives followed tensions after U.S. President Donald Trump accused Nigeria’s government of allowing an alleged massacre of Christians and threatened possible military intervention. Abuja rejected that description as inconsistent with “the reality on the ground.”

Northeastern Nigeria has faced attacks by Boko Haram since 2009. Violence worsened after the emergence of its splinter group, the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, in 2016.

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.

— Samaila UbaHe outlined the continuing areas of bilateral security cooperation.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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