Nigeria on Tuesday confirmed the planned withdrawal of around 200 U.S. troops sent to help tackle the country’s security crisis, the Associated Press reported.
The deployment was made in February 2026. According to the Nigerian government, the U.S. troops assisted in training and intelligence gathering and took part in a joint operation in which a top Islamic State leader was killed.
Military spokesperson Maj. Gen. Samaila Uba said the relationship between Nigeria and the United States remains “strong, enduring, and mutually beneficial,” and that the deployment was tied to specific operational and counterterrorism objectives. He said the decision to draw down personnel is part of the evolving engagement and that elements of the partnership—particularly intelligence cooperation, training and information sharing—will continue.
Addressing journalists, Uba said the withdrawal should not be interpreted as a breakdown of the Nigeria–U.S. security partnership and urged the public not to read a mission-specific adjustment as evidence of collapsing cooperation. Punch reported that U.S. officials said most of the additional forces deployed for the Lake Chad operation had returned after completing their mission while broader security cooperation continues.
