The United States has intensified its military footprint in West Africa, with five US aircraft and the first batch of American troops arriving in North-East Nigeria to support a looming joint offensive against Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.
Military sources and counter-terrorism analysts confirmed that the aircraft touched down at key airforce bases across Nigeria’s northern region over the past few days, with the strategic hub in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, receiving the bulk of the deployment.
By Friday evening, three aircraft were visible on the tarmac at the Maiduguri Airbase, with military personnel and equipment being offloaded from at least one of them.
Brant Philip, a counter-terrorism researcher and expert tracking the deployment, noted that in furtherance of a recent security deal between both nations, six US Air Force cargo planes were deployed across West Africa over the past week.
While one aircraft stopped in Ghana, the remaining five proceeded to Nigeria.
Philip stated that a sixth aircraft arrived in Nigeria on Saturday and is expected to follow the route towards the North-East.
According to the analyst, one of the US planes, a C-17A, was deployed to the Kainji Airbase, while two additional C-17As and one C-130J-30 flew directly to Maiduguri Airbase in Borno. All aircraft departed their respective bases on the same day they landed, indicating a rapid insertion of personnel and supplies.
“Maiduguri Airbase will likely be the primary base of operations for supporting the Nigerian army against ISWAP,” Philip said, adding that the Borno state capital is a critical location because the IS-affiliated group currently controls most of the rural areas in the state.
While the exact size of the deployed cavalry remains undisclosed, a Reuters report from Tuesday stated that the United States would send approximately 200 troops to Nigeria to train the country’s military.
A US official clarified that these troops would supplement a handful of United States military personnel already on the ground in Nigeria.
Analysts suggest that parts of the deliveries may include sophisticated hardware, such as at least one or more MQ-9 Reaper drones and attack helicopters, to support intelligence gathering and offensive operations.
The deployment follows a high-level visit by Dagvin Anderson, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) commander, to Abuja last week. Anderson was received by President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
During the meeting, both parties discussed shared security priorities, focusing on countering terrorist organisations that threaten Nigeria, the wider region, and global security.
Anderson confirmed that the US military had already initiated the deployment as part of an expanded bilateral agreement, emphasizing that the troops would primarily focus on intelligence gathering and providing support to local forces.
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