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The United States has withdrawn most of the troops deployed to Nigeria earlier this year following the completion of a joint military operation targeting Islamist militant groups in the Lake Chad Basin.
The mission began after U.S. and Nigerian forces launched coordinated strikes against militant positions in late December, with around 200 American troops deployed two months later to support counterterrorism efforts.
According to U.S. officials, the operation resulted in the killing of senior Islamic State commander Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and achieved its primary objectives. Nigerian military officials also described the mission as successful, stressing that the withdrawal of U.S. personnel would not affect ongoing counterterrorism operations.
Nigeria's armed forces said intelligence cooperation with Washington will continue despite the troop drawdown, maintaining close coordination in efforts to combat extremist groups.
Militant attacks, however, continue across northeastern Nigeria, where jihadist organizations remain active despite sustained military operations.
The expansion of U.S.-Nigeria military cooperation followed criticism from Washington over Nigeria’s response to extremist violence and concerns about protecting vulnerable communities. Nigerian authorities have rejected allegations of a targeted "Christian genocide," arguing that the conflict is driven by a complex security crisis affecting people of different religious backgrounds.
Security analysts note that many victims of jihadist violence are Muslims, as extremist groups primarily operate in predominantly Muslim regions of northern Nigeria.
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