US deploys drones, 200 troops to Nigeria for intelligence support — Report

US Military Drones

The United States has deployed multiple MQ-9 drones alongside around 200 troops to Nigeria to provide intelligence and training support to the Nigerian military in its ongoing fight against insurgents across the northern region.

The operation is strictly focused on surveillance and advisory support, with no US personnel embedded in frontline units and no drone airstrikes being conducted.

“The U.S. military has multiple MQ-9 drones operating in Nigeria alongside 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the military,” U.S. and Nigerian officials told Reuters.

According to Reuters on Saturday, the deployment was requested by Nigerian authorities to help identify, track, and respond to terrorist threats in the region.

“We see this as a shared security threat,” a U.S. defence official told Reuters, underscoring that the mission is limited to intelligence collection and advisory support.

Major General Samaila Uba, director of defence information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, confirmed that U.S. forces are operating from Bauchi airfield in the northeast.

“This support builds on the newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell, which continues to deliver actionable intelligence to our field commanders. Our U.S. partners remain in a strictly non-combat role, enabling operations led by Nigerian authorities,” he said. Punch