U.S. Deploys Troops to Nigeria After Airstrikes in Sokoto Community -

By Mustapha Muhammad Tukur

The United States has confirmed the deployment of a small team of its troops to Nigeria, following airstrikes carried out on Christmas Day in parts of the North-West, including a community in Sokoto State.

Daily Star Nigeria reports that the confirmation was made on Tuesday by the Commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, according to a Reuters report.

President Donald Trump had in December ordered airstrikes on locations he described as Islamic State-linked targets in Nigeria, warning that further U.S. military action could follow if the security situation deteriorated.

Speaking during a press briefing, General Anderson said the deployment came after discussions between Washington and Abuja, with both countries agreeing that more needed to be done to address the worsening security situation in West Africa, particularly in northern Nigeria.

“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small U.S. team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” Anderson was quoted by Reuters as saying.

While details of the team’s size and mandate were not disclosed, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, confirmed that U.S. military personnel are currently working in the country.

A former U.S. official, also cited by Reuters, said the American team is believed to be supporting Nigerian forces mainly through intelligence gathering and operational assistance aimed at disrupting terrorist-linked networks.

The development has drawn particular attention in Sokoto and other North-West states following AFRICOM’s claim that the Christmas Day airstrike was carried out in Jabo town, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, in coordination with Nigerian authorities, killing several ISIS militants.

However, residents of Jabo and surrounding communities have strongly disputed the claim, insisting that there were no ISIS fighters operating in the area at the time of the strike, but rather local communities already grappling with banditry and insecurity.

North-West Nigeria, including Sokoto, Zamfara and Kebbi states, has in recent years witnessed persistent attacks by armed groups, with communities facing killings, kidnappings and displacement. While Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) are traditionally linked to the North-East, security challenges in the North-West have increasingly drawn international attention.

The U.S. deployment also comes amid pressure from Washington, after President Trump accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants. Nigerian authorities have rejected the claim, maintaining that security operations in the North-West target criminal and extremist groups that attack both Muslim and Christian civilians.

For residents of Sokoto and neighbouring states, the latest development raises fresh questions about the expanding international dimension of Nigeria’s security challenges and what it could mean for communities already bearing the brunt of years of violence.