Defence HQ Announces Deployment of 100 American Troops to Nigeria

DHQ would like to report that about 100 US military soldiers and related equipment have arrived at Bauchi Airfield.

A working group engagement between the Nigerian and US delegations includes discussions about the deployment.

The Federal Government of Nigeria formally requested that the US government support a well-defined military training requirement, technical assistance, and information sharing with the members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. This prompted the planned and purposeful arrival.

The statement, which was signed by Samaila Uba, the Director of Defense Information, said thus.

Access to specialized technical capabilities will be made possible by the partnership, which aims to improve Nigeria’s capacity to counter terrorist threats and improve the safety of its most vulnerable people nationwide.

Only consulting and training functions are performed by the technical professionals in the US.

These aren’t fighting forces. In close cooperation with the Nigerian Armed Forces, all training operations would be carried out under the supervision, guidance, and authority of the Nigerian government.

Nigerian troops and these advisors will begin a number of cooperative training exercises and intelligence-oriented cooperation projects.

Through these exercises, Nigerian forces would be better equipped to recognize and destroy extreme terrorist organizations that want to undermine the country.

Nigeria’s Armed Forces are still steadfast in their resolve to dismantle and destroy terrorist groups that endanger the nation’s security, sovereignty, and civilian safety.

Nigerians are guaranteed ongoing transparency and fast, accurate, and clear information about the military cooperation initiatives from the DHQ.

8 Nigerians’ assets are frozen by the US due to their ties to ISIL and Boko Haram.

Eight Nigerians are accused of having connections to Boko Haram and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and the United States government has blocked their assets and properties in response to new penalties from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The announcement was made in a more than 3,000-page sanctions document that was made public over the weekend and included a list of people linked to cybercrime, terrorism, and other offenses pertaining to national security.

OFAC claims that the release acted as a formal notification of individuals who were added to its list of Specially Designated Nationals, whose assets were barred under U.S. jurisdiction, and that it forbade Americans and businesses headquartered in the United States from engaging in financial or commercial dealings with them.

One of those identified is Salih Yusuf Adamu, also called Salihu Yusuf, who was earlier found guilty in the United Arab Emirates of organizing a fundraising network for Boko Haram.

He was one of six Nigerians who were convicted in 2022 of trying to send $782,000 to Nigerian rebels from Dubai.

Additional names on the list included Ibrahim Ali Alhassan, who was allegedly based in Abu Dhabi; Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad Al-Mainuki, who was sanctioned for alleged ISIL connections; Abu Abdullah ibn Umar Al-Barnawi, also known as Ba Idrisa; Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, who was described as a leader of Boko Haram; Khaled Al-Barnawi, who was associated with the group under a variety of spellings and nicknames; Babestan Oluwole Ademulero, who was identified under multiple aliases; and Nnamdi Orson Benson, who was designated under cybercrime provisions.

All assets and financial interests owned by those under U.S. control are blocked under the sanctions, and any transactions with them are strictly forbidden.

OFAC stated that Executive Order 13224, which targeted networks that finance and support terrorism, was the legal basis for the sanctions.

Since 2013, the United States has designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization because of its role in killings in northern Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin.

Additionally, the action comes as the U.S. Congress recently called for harsher sanctions against specific Nigerian political figures and organizations, including as asset freezes and visa restrictions, due to claims of insecurity and human rights abuses.

According to U.S. officials, the penalties were a component of larger initiatives to dismantle the funding of terrorist organizations and bolster global counterterrorism enforcement.