US pulls most troops from Nigeria after Lake Chad counterterrorism operation
The United States has pulled most of the roughly 200 military personnel it sent to Nigeria in February, ending the direct-deployment phase of a counterterrorism mission in the Lake Chad Basin. The withdrawal was disclosed by Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of US Air Forces in Africa, following an African defense chiefs’ conference.
The troops had backed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations against Islamic State’s West Africa Province and other armed groups, after President Trump redesignated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and pledged expanded support. US and Nigerian forces killed the affiliate’s deputy leader, Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, in a raid in Borno State in May.
Washington frames the drawdown as a transition rather than a retreat: it says intelligence-sharing and counterterrorism cooperation continue, with Nigerian forces now leading operations on the ground. The move fits a broader US pattern of favoring “by, with, and through” partnerships in Africa over sustained troop presence — reducing American exposure while leaving the operational burden with local militaries.