U.S. Deploys Reaper Drones, Troops To Nigeria

The United States has deployed multiple MQ-9 Reaper drones to Nigeria, along with approximately 200 U.S. troops, to provide intelligence gathering, training, and technical assistance to Nigerian forces combating Islamist militants in the country’s north.

The U.S. and Nigerian officials confirmed the deployment to Reuters and other international news outlets.

The drones would be used solely for surveillance and reconnaissance, not for airstrikes, the report said. It added that U.S. personnel would operate in a non-combat role under Nigerian operational authority.

The Reapers are based at Bauchi airfield in northeastern Nigeria, where their surveillance feeds and mission data are integrated into a newly established U.S. Nigeria intelligence fusion cell.

This facility is designed to deliver timely, actionable intelligence directly to Nigerian field commanders. Nigerian military officials, including Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information at Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters, have stated that the timeline for the U.S. presence will be determined jointly by both governments, with no fixed end date announced.

This deployment came amid Nigeria’s protracted struggle against a nearly two-decade insurgency led by Islamist groups such as Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The groups have evolved their tactics over time and continue to pose threats across northern Nigeria and parts of the Sahel region.

Bombings in Maiduguri on March 16, 2026 during Ramadan iftar, killed at least 23 people and injured more than 100.

The attacks targeted a post office, a popular market, and the entrance to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. No group has claimed responsibility.

On December 25, 2025, U.S. forces, in coordination with Nigerian authorities, conducted strikes against sites linked to Islamic State militants in Sokoto State.

The operations involved drone-launched guided missiles and precision munitions, targeting militants reportedly attempting to penetrate from the Sahel corridor.

The Nigerian government had confirmed requesting the assistance to enhance its counterterrorism capacity.