The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has stated that military assistance provided by the United States to Nigeria is being offered without financial obligation to the country.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, Michael Onoja, director of defence media operations, said the collaboration centres on training Nigerian troops and reinforcing ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
He urged that the partnership should not be regarded as unusual, likening it to situations where Nigerian military personnel travel overseas for professional training.
“The American government is interested in combating terrorism, and the assistance rendered to Nigeria comes at no cost,” Onoja said.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s territorial integrity and national security remain unaffected, stressing that no element of the country’s sovereignty has been compromised.
Onoja added that military authorities, including theatre commanders and chief security officers in impacted regions, are actively engaged and implementing measures to forestall further attacks.
He encouraged the public to consider the benefits the partnership brings to Nigeria’s security efforts rather than focusing on the number of foreign troops present.
On 16 February, the DHQ confirmed that approximately 100 US military personnel, along with equipment, had arrived at the Bauchi airfield.
Samaila Uba, director of defence information, said the deployment followed a recent security agreement between Nigeria and the United States.
According to Uba, the federal government formally requested assistance from the US in the areas of military training, technical support and intelligence sharing for members of the Nigerian Armed Forces.