President Bola Tinubu on Sunday received a high-level United States military delegation led by the Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R. Anderson, at the State House, Aso Rock, Abuja.
The meeting, which focused on security cooperation and counterterrorism efforts, comes amid reports of a recent deployment of US troops to Nigeria.
According to a statement by the Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, President Tinubu welcomed the delegation alongside the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and top Nigerian service chiefs.
Members of the US delegation included General Dagvin R. Anderson, senior AFRICOM officials, and the Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Nigeria, Keith Heffern.
Also present were the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Tosin Ajayi; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Waidi Shaibu; and Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt-Gen Emmanuel Uandiandeye, among others.
The engagement follows reports that the United States deployed a small team of troops to Nigeria on February 3, marking the first official US ground military presence since airstrikes targeted terrorist hideouts on Christmas Day 2025.
The airstrikes were ordered by US President Donald Trump, who described the targets as Islamic State-linked positions and signalled that further military actions could follow if threats persist.
Before the strikes, the US had reportedly been conducting intelligence and surveillance flights over Nigeria from Ghana since at least November 2025, providing support for counterterrorism operations.
Speaking on the deployment, General Anderson said it was part of deepening US-Nigeria security cooperation in response to growing terrorist threats across West Africa.
“That has led to increased collaboration between our nations, including a small US team that brings unique capabilities from the United States,” Anderson said.
He, however, declined to disclose the size or specific mission of the deployed team, noting only that it would support Nigeria’s ongoing counterterrorism efforts.
