US Troop Withdrawal Is Routine, Won’t Affect Nigeria’s Security — DHQ

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said the planned withdrawal of about 200 United States military personnel from Nigeria is a routine operational adjustment and does not signal an end to the security partnership between both countries.

The Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, gave the clarification on Tuesday at a security briefing in Abuja, following reports that the US was withdrawing its troops from Nigeria.

Uba said the drawdown was linked to specific operational and counter-terrorism objectives and should not be interpreted as a breakdown in bilateral defence cooperation.

“The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to clarify that the reported withdrawal of about 200 United States personnel should not be interpreted as a breakdown or termination of the Nigeria-United States security partnership,” he said.

He said the relationship between Nigeria and the US remained “strong, enduring and mutually beneficial”, adding that key areas of cooperation, including intelligence sharing, military training, information sharing and technical assistance, would continue.

According to the Defence spokesman, the deployment of US personnel was tied to specific operational requirements, making the current drawdown part of the evolving nature of the partnership.

He stressed that the primary responsibility for defending Nigeria and protecting its citizens rests with the Nigerian security forces, while cooperation with the US is aimed at strengthening their capabilities.

The clarification follows comments by the Commander of US Africa Command, General Dagvin Anderson, that much of the American force deployed for a specific counter-terrorism operation in the Lake Chad Basin had been withdrawn, while intelligence sharing and broader security cooperation with Nigeria would continue.

The DHQ had previously clarified that personnel deployed specifically for the Lake Chad operation were separate from US personnel stationed in Nigeria for longer-term intelligence and training activities.

Uba assured Nigerians that the latest adjustment would not weaken the country’s ongoing fight against terrorism or undermine the broader Nigeria-US security relationship.