Maiduguri: US troops and equipment arrive to advise Nigerian forces; Abuja keeps full command as advisory flights continue.
Three U.S. cargo planes carrying troops and equipment touched down in Maiduguri late Thursday, signalling the start of a limited advisory deployment to northeastern Nigeria.
By Friday evening, reporters saw personnel and kit being unloaded from at least one aircraft. Officials said the initial arrival involves roughly 100 U.S. service members, with more flights and equipment expected over the coming days and weeks.
A U.S. Defence Department official speaking on condition of anonymity because of operational sensitivity said C-17 cargo aircraft will deliver forces and gear to multiple sites across Nigeria. US Department of Defense provided the transport, the official told reporters.
Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters spokesman, Samaila Uba, told journalists these personnel are advisers only. He stressed Nigerian forces will remain in charge. “They do not serve in a combat capacity,” he said, adding that Nigerian commanders retain decision-making authority on their sovereign soil.
Earlier reporting by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal put numbers and timing on the movement, noting additional arrivals planned this weekend.
The deployment follows recommendations from a US–Nigeria joint working group and is intended to provide advisory support at several locations.
The move has drawn attention at home and abroad. President Donald J. Trump had publicly pushed for stepped-up action in Nigeria, citing security concerns; U.S. officials say the current mission is narrowly focused on advice and logistics, not frontline combat.
_1769956161.jpg)
0 Comments