The Defence Headquarters has announced the arrival of about 100 United States military personnel, alongside related equipment, at Bauchi Airfield as part of a bilateral military cooperation initiative between Nigeria and the United States.
The disclosure was made on Monday in a statement issued by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba. According to the statement, the deployment followed a formal request by the Federal Government of Nigeria and is designed to support military training, technical assistance, and intelligence sharing.
The Defence Headquarters clarified that the visiting U.S. personnel are technical specialists and will operate strictly in an advisory and training capacity. It stressed that they are not combat troops and will not be involved in direct military operations.
Major General Uba noted that all activities carried out by the U.S. personnel will be conducted under the authority, direction, and control of the Nigerian Government, and in close coordination with the Nigerian Armed Forces. He emphasized that the arrangement respects Nigeria’s sovereignty and aligns with existing defence cooperation frameworks.
According to the Defence Headquarters, the collaboration is aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s technical capabilities, particularly in areas related to counterterrorism, intelligence gathering, and operational planning. The initiative is also expected to strengthen the capacity of Nigerian troops to deter terrorist threats and improve the protection of vulnerable communities across the country.
Uba added that Nigerian forces and the visiting U.S. advisers will soon commence a series of joint training programmes and intelligence-focused cooperation activities targeted at improving overall operational effectiveness.
Reaffirming its commitment to national security and public accountability, the Defence Headquarters assured Nigerians that it would maintain transparency throughout the cooperation. It pledged to provide clear, accurate, and timely information on the scope and progress of the military engagement as it unfolds.
