Pentagon to Deploy 200 Troops to Nigeria Amid Escalating Terror Threat

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – The United States is preparing to deploy roughly 200 American troops to Nigeria in the coming weeks to assist in counterterrorism efforts, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The contingent will reinforce a small team of American military personnel already embedded with Nigerian forces. Officials from both countries emphasized that the new deployment will not involve direct combat operations but will focus on training, technical support, and strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to combat Islamic militant groups.

Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba, spokesman for Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters, described the incoming Americans as “technical and training personnel.” A U.S. official confirmed the mission is designed to bolster Nigeria’s armed forces as they battle Islamist insurgencies across several regions.

U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) underscored the seriousness of the threat. “The terrorist activity in West Africa—and Nigeria specifically—is something we’re incredibly concerned with,” an AFRICOM spokesperson said. “We want to partner with capable and willing partners that are able to address these shared security concerns.”

The deployment follows recent U.S. military action in Nigeria. On Christmas night, President Donald Trump announced that American forces had carried out airstrikes targeting Islamic State militants in Sokoto State. AFRICOM later said its preliminary assessment indicated that multiple ISIS terrorists were killed in the operation.

In recent months, President Trump has sharply criticized Nigeria’s government, accusing it of failing to protect Christians from escalating attacks. In posts on Truth Social and during remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump warned that the United States would respond forcefully if Christians continued to face mass violence.

“They’re killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria,” Trump said. “We’re not going to allow that to happen.”

Nigeria’s government has rejected claims of a targeted Christian genocide, arguing that both Christians and Muslims have suffered at the hands of terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province. Officials also point to longstanding land and water disputes as contributing factors to the violence.

However, persecution watchdog Open Doors ranks Nigeria as the seventh most dangerous country in the world for Christians. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reported that more than 80 percent of religion-based killings worldwide in 2024 occurred in Nigeria.

Recent attacks have intensified concerns. In January, gunmen abducted more than 160 worshippers from three churches in Kaduna State, including congregations affiliated with the Evangelical Church Winning All, the Cherubim and Seraphim denomination, and a Catholic parish. Last week, Islamic State-linked jihadists reportedly killed 162 people in attacks on two villages in Kwara State.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who has visited affected regions, has described an “exponential increase” in attacks on Christian communities and criticized Nigeria’s government for what he calls inaction. “The Fulani are killing them with absolute impunity,” Smith said, urging Abuja to use law enforcement and military tools to stop what he has labeled genocide.

Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of AFRICOM, said the United States remains committed to working with Nigerian and regional partners to counter violent extremist organizations.

“Our goal is to protect Americans and disrupt violent extremist organizations wherever they are,” Anderson said.

The upcoming deployment marks a deepening of U.S.–Nigeria security cooperation at a time when West Africa faces growing instability from jihadist groups operating across porous borders and targeting both civilian populations and security forces.

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