US Withdraws Most Troops From Nigeria After Lake Chad Mission

The United States has withdrawn most of the military personnel it deployed to Nigeria earlier this year for a joint counterterrorism mission in the Lake Chad Basin, marking the end of the operation while maintaining intelligence cooperation with Nigerian security forces.

The Commander of the US Air Forces in Europe–Air Forces Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, disclosed the development during a press briefing at the conclusion of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.

About 200 US military personnel were deployed to Nigeria in February to support intelligence gathering, surveillance and counterterrorism operations targeting ISIS and other extremist groups operating around the Lake Chad Basin.

According to Anderson, the operation has achieved its objectives and the majority of the deployed personnel have since returned to the United States.

“And so that operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region, but it also helps countries globally, as that disrupts the ISIS network,” he said.

He added that although most of the troops had been withdrawn, the United States would continue to support Nigeria through intelligence sharing and other forms of security cooperation.

“We have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing and the understanding that’s necessary to be able to prosecute these difficult tasks,” Anderson stated.

The deployment was part of expanding security collaboration between Washington and Abuja following renewed efforts to combat terrorism in Nigeria and the wider Lake Chad region.

The partnership followed the redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by US President Donald Trump, who pledged stronger American support for counterterrorism operations in the country.

Security cooperation between both countries later culminated in the operation that eliminated Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, identified as the second-in-command of the global ISIS network, at a hideout in Borno State.

Anderson described Nigeria as a capable ally with a strong military and said the success of recent operations demonstrated the value of intelligence-driven collaboration.

“I think the partnership that we’ve shown recently with Nigeria, where Nigeria’s a very capable and large country… it’s got a very capable military,” he said.

He explained that the United States contributed specialised intelligence capabilities developed over years of counterterrorism operations, which complemented the efforts of the Nigerian military.

According to him, the joint operation that led to the killing of the senior ISIS commander showed how strategic partnerships could strengthen the ability of countries to confront complex security threats.

The US military chief also urged African countries to deepen intelligence sharing and security collaboration to combat terrorism, illicit trafficking and other transnational crimes.

He cited the recent interception of a record 31-tonne cocaine shipment originating from South America and travelling along the West African coast as an example of the benefits of international cooperation.

“I was able to coordinate through our interagency in the United States, through AFRICOM, and then notify some of the partners. Eventually it was a Spanish ship that interdicted the vessel carrying 31 tonnes of cocaine, the largest drug seizure at sea that we’ve ever seen,” Anderson said.

He maintained that sustained collaboration among African governments, international partners and the private sector would be essential to addressing security challenges while creating a more stable environment for economic growth and investment.