By Sumaila Ogbaje
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced the arrival of about 100 United States military personnel in Nigeria to support the training and capacity development of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.
Uba said the U.S. personnel and associated equipment had arrived at the Bauchi Airfield as part of a structured bilateral defence engagement.
According to him, the deployment follows a formal request by Nigeria to the U.S. Government for clearly defined military training, technical support and intelligence-sharing assistance.
According to him, the collaboration stems from deliberations reached during a joint working group engagement between Nigerian and U.S. defence delegations.
“The U.S. personnel are technical specialists serving strictly in an advisory and training capacity. They are not combat forces,” he said.
The defence spokesman stressed that all activities would be conducted under the authority, direction and control of the Nigerian Government and in close coordination with the AFN.
He noted that the cooperation would provide access to specialised technical capabilities aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s ability to deter terrorist threats and strengthen the protection of vulnerable communities.
According to him, Nigerian troops will commence a series of joint training engagements and intelligence-focused initiatives with the advisers to boost operational effectiveness against extremist groups.
Uba reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces to degrading and defeating terrorist organisations threatening the country’s sovereignty and national security, assuring Nigerians of transparency and timely updates on the ongoing military partnership. (NAN)
