In response to rising concerns about a possible resurgence of the terrorist group Boko Haram, the U.S. military has deployed MQ-9 Reaper drones to Nigeria. According to a U.S. defense official speaking to The Associated Press, this strategic move comes amid a growing security crisis in Nigeria, particularly in its northern regions.
This deployment follows the arrival of 200 U.S. troops in Nigeria last month, whose mission is to assist with training and intelligence. Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, is currently grappling with a multifaceted security challenge, making international support crucial in its fight against insurgency.
An AFRICOM spokesperson commented to the AP that the American forces are actively collaborating with Nigerian military counterparts. Their efforts focus on providing essential intelligence support, advisory services, and specialized training aimed at bolstering the capabilities of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Among the threats Nigeria faces are the infamous Boko Haram and its splinter group, which aligns itself with the Islamic State. This faction is known as the Islamic State West Africa Province, or ISWAP, and has been a significant destabilizing force in the region.
In a related development, recent suicide bombings in Nigeria have resulted in the tragic loss of at least 23 lives and injured over 100 people, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced security measures.
Meanwhile, a U.S. military MQ-9 Reaper drone was seen making its approach for landing at Rafael Hernandez Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, on December 29, 2025, as captured by photographer Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo for AFP via Getty Images.
There is also the ISIS-linked Lakurawa, as well as other “bandit” groups that specialize in kidnapping for ransom and illegal mining.
The U.S. troops and the MQ-9 drones are based at Bauchi Airfield, a newly built airport in the northeast of the country, the spokesperson said to the AP. The number of drones deployed remains unclear.
The deployment is part of a new security partnership agreed on after President Donald Trump sounded the alarm about Christians being slaughtered in Nigeria’s security crisis.
The U.S. launched strikes against IS forces on Dec. 26 — the day after Christmas.
Earlier this month, three suspected suicide bombings killed at least 23 people and wounded 108 others in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state in northeastern Nigeria. No group claimed responsibility, but suspicion quickly fell on Boko Haram, which in 2009 launched an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria to enforce Sharia law.
100 US TROOPS LAND IN NIGERIA AS ISLAMIC MILITANTS THREATEN WEST AFRICA REGIONAL SECURITY
Residents and a motorcyclist move between destroyed structures in Offa on Dec. 27, 2025, caused by debris from expended munitions that fell from U.S. strikes on unspecified militants linked to the Islamic State group in Nigeria. (Abiodun Jamiu/AFP via Getty Images)
MQ-9 drones cost around $30 million apiece and have separate models for land and sea. They can also be used to carry out airstrikes, but AFRICOM says they will only be used in Nigeria for intelligence-gathering and training.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence says Boko Haram aims to “overthrow the current Nigerian Government and replace it with a regime based on Islamic law.”
A policeman walks among protesters as civil society groups and the Nigeria Labour Congress hold a peaceful protest over insecurity in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, on Dec. 17, 2025. (Adekunle Ajayi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“The U.S. State Department designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization in November 2013,” it added.
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