US Troops, Military Aircraft Arrive Nigeria Ahead Of Anti-ISWAP Operations

The first batch of United States troops and five military aircraft have arrived in North-east Nigeria ahead of a planned joint offensive against insurgents linked to Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

Reports indicated that a US military aircraft touched down at the Maiduguri Air Base on Thursday night, while by Friday evening, three aircraft were visible at the facility with equipment being offloaded from at least one of them.

Earlier, Reuters had reported that the United States would deploy about 200 troops to train Nigerian forces as the country battles insurgency across several territories in the North-East.

A US official said the troops would complement a small number of American military personnel already stationed in Nigeria.

The deployment comes amid expanding security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States following recent diplomatic engagements involving US President Donald Trump and Nigerian authorities.

Counter-terrorism researcher Brant Philip disclosed that the aircraft landed at different air force bases across northern Nigeria in recent days.

According to him, six US Air Force cargo planes were deployed to West Africa within the past week, one stopping in Ghana while five continued to Nigeria.

Philip added that another aircraft arrived on Saturday and was likely heading towards the North-East theatre of operations.

He noted that one C-17A aircraft landed at Kainji Air Base, while three C-17A and one C-130J-30 aircraft flew into Maiduguri Air Base in Borno State, adding that all departed the same day they landed.

“Maiduguri Airbase will likely be the primary base of operations for supporting the Nigerian army against ISWAP,” the analyst said.

He further explained that the Borno State capital remains strategic because insurgents control most rural communities around the state.

Philip also suggested that deliveries may include MQ-9 Reaper drones, attack helicopters and additional US troops.

Last week, the Commander of United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), Gen. Dagvin Anderson, visited Abuja where he met President Bola Tinubu alongside top security officials including National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and senior military chiefs.

During the meeting, both countries discussed shared security priorities, particularly counter-terrorism operations affecting Nigeria, the region and global security.

Anderson disclosed that American forces had already been deployed under an expanded bilateral agreement but did not reveal troop strength.

He added that the personnel would mainly focus on intelligence gathering and operational support to Nigerian troops.