DHQ Clarifies US Military Assistance to Nigeria, Says No Threat to Sovereignty

Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has officially broken its silence on the presence and role of United States military personnel in Nigeria, outlining full details of the collaboration during a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, 28 February 2026. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, said the support is advisory, intelligence-sharing and training-oriented (not combat engagement) and comes at no financial cost to the Federal Government.

The clarification follows the confirmed arrival of about 100 U.S. military personnel and associated equipment at Bauchi Airfield on 17 February 2026, a deployment that grew out of bilateral defence engagements between Nigerian and American officials.
According to the DHQ, the partnership aims to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to counter terrorism and dismantle extremist networks, reinforcing ongoing operations such as troop offensives in the North-East and other troubled regions.

Responding to public concern, Onoja stressed that the arrangement does not compromise Nigeria’s sovereignty or territorial integrity, likening the cooperation to routine training exchanges where Nigerian officers travel abroad for skill development.
He urged Nigerians to focus on the added operational value this partnership brings to efforts against insurgents, kidnappers and other armed groups troubling the nation.