U.S. Withdraws Most Troops From Nigeria After ISIS Strike

The United States has withdrawn most of the approximately 200 military personnel deployed to Nigeria in February 2026. General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, Commander of US Africa Command, announced the move during the 2026 African Chiefs of Defence Conference, stating the mission in the Lake Chad Basin successfully disrupted the global networks of the Islamic State. Key achievements included December 2025 air strikes in Sokoto State and a May 2026 operation in Borno State that killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS.

The deployment followed a bilateral security agreement and President Donald Trump's redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, driven by U.S. concerns over the treatment of Christians. While the U.S. and the Government of Nigeria agreed to maintain intelligence sharing and security cooperation, the Nigerian government rejected claims that the state failed to protect Christians, arguing that Muslims in the north are the primary victims of jihadist violence.

Despite the operation, security remains volatile. Islamic State West Africa Province militants recently abducted dozens of students from a school in Lassa, Borno State. Samuel Memeh, chairman of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, criticized the mission as a failure to produce lasting security improvements. Meanwhile, Nigerian Army Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu declared the military's readiness to block foreign jihadists from infiltrating Nigeria, noting that 80 percent of army personnel are currently deployed in operational theaters.