Dakar — The United States has confirmed the deployment of a small team of military personnel to Nigeria as part of stepped-up efforts to combat Boko Haram, Islamic State-linked groups, and rising banditry across the country.

The disclosure was made by General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, head of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), marking the first official acknowledgement of American forces operating on the ground in Nigeria following US airstrikes carried out on Christmas Day.

Speaking at a media briefing, Anderson said the deployment followed joint discussions between Washington and Abuja on the growing terrorist threat in West Africa.

“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small US team that brings some unique capabilities from the United States,” he said, without disclosing the size or duration of the mission.

Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa (retd.), also confirmed the presence of the US team in the country but declined to provide operational details.

President Donald Trump had ordered airstrikes in December on what he described as Islamic State targets in Nigeria, warning at the time that further US military action could follow. According to AFRICOM, one of the strikes, carried out in coordination with Nigerian authorities in Sokoto State, killed multiple ISIS militants.

Reuters previously reported that the US had been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria from neighbouring Ghana since at least late November, underscoring heightened intelligence activity in the region. A former US official said the deployed team is believed to be focused largely on intelligence gathering and supporting Nigerian forces in targeting terrorist-affiliated groups.

The deployment comes amid mounting pressure from Washington, with Trump accusing Nigeria of failing to protect Christian communities from Islamist militants operating in the northwest. The Nigerian government has rejected claims of religious persecution, insisting that security operations target armed groups attacking both Christian and Muslim civilians.

Nigeria continues to grapple with persistent insecurity, as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters intensify attacks on military convoys and civilian targets. The northwest remains a major hotspot in the country’s 17-year-long Islamist insurgency, fueling concerns among regional and international partners.