The United States has withdrawn most of the troops it deployed to Nigeria for a joint counterterrorism operation in the Lake Chad Basin but says it will continue intelligence sharing and other security cooperation with the country.
The Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe Air Forces Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, disclosed this during a virtual press briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.
According to Anderson, the military operation in the Lake Chad Basin has been concluded, prompting the withdrawal of most U.S. personnel. However, he said Washington remains committed to supporting Nigeria through intelligence collaboration at the request of the Nigerian government.
“The operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped countries in that immediate region, it also disrupted the ISIS network globally,” Anderson said.
He added that while most U.S. forces involved in the mission had left Nigeria, intelligence cooperation would continue to assist Nigerian security agencies in tackling terrorism.
Anderson described Nigeria as a capable partner with a strong military, noting that cooperation between both countries had produced significant gains in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh).
He said intelligence provided through the partnership, combined with Nigerian military operations, contributed to the successful operation that eliminated Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, who was responsible for the group’s global operations, media activities and recruitment.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of intelligence sharing and specialised support over prolonged foreign military deployments.
He also called for stronger intelligence cooperation among African countries to combat terrorism, illicit trafficking and other transnational crimes.
The U.S. general revealed that improved intelligence sharing recently contributed to the interception of a record 31-ton shipment of cocaine originating from South America and transiting through the West African coast.
He said the operation involved coordination between U.S. agencies, AFRICOM and partner nations before a Spanish naval vessel intercepted the shipment.
Anderson stressed that sustained collaboration among African countries, international partners and the private sector would remain essential to addressing security threats while promoting economic stability and investment across the continent.
The United States deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria in February 2026 to support intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin as part of expanded security cooperation between both countries.
The partnership culminated in May 2026 with a joint U.S.-Nigerian operation that killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki at his hideout in Borno State.
