US Pulls Most Troops from Nigeria, Shifts to Intelligence Support
The United States has withdrawn the bulk of its 200 personnel deployed to Nigeria’s Lake Chad Basin counterterrorism mission. General Dagvin R.M. Anderson of US Air Forces in Africa announced the move at a virtual briefing following the 2026 African Chiefs of Defence Conference. He said intelligence sharing and specialised US capabilities will continue at Nigeria’s request. The joint effort led to the elimination of the second-highest-ranking ISIS leader and disrupted extremist networks across the region. General Anderson highlighted the success of recent operations, including a record 31-ton cocaine seizure off West Africa. He called for deeper intelligence collaboration among African nations to tackle terrorism, drug trafficking and other transnational crimes. Washington deployed troops earlier this year after Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern. While most forces have now left, the US and Nigeria reaffirm their security partnership through ongoing surveillance and information exchange.
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