Overview
- U.S. personnel and drones are operating from Bauchi airfield, Nigerian defence spokesman Major General Samaila Uba confirmed.
- Officials from both countries say the drones are conducting reconnaissance only and U.S. troops are not embedded with frontline units.
- Nigerian authorities say the deployment builds on a newly established U.S.-Nigeria intelligence fusion cell that provides actionable intelligence for Nigerian-led operations.
- Both governments will decide the deployment’s duration together as security needs evolve.
- The move follows the 2024 closure of a major U.S. drone base in Niger and late-2025 U.S. airstrikes in northwest Nigeria, as Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to mount adaptable attacks, including a recent suicide bombing in the northeast.