The Defence Headquarters has said the reported withdrawal of about 200 United States personnel from Nigeria will not affect the country’s security cooperation with the US, describing the development as a routine adjustment tied to specific operational objectives.
The Director of Defence Information, Maj Gen S. Uba, stated this on Tuesday while addressing journalists at the joint security spokespersons briefing.
Uba said the withdrawal should not be interpreted as a breakdown or termination of the longstanding security partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria wishes to clarify that the reported withdrawal of about 200 United States personnel should not be interpreted as a breakdown or termination of the Nigeria-United States security partnership,” he said.
According to him, the relationship between both countries remains “strong, enduring, and mutually beneficial,” noting that the deployment of American personnel was linked to specific operational and counterterrorism objectives.
“The decision to draw down personnel is therefore part of the evolving nature of that engagement. Elements of the United States security partnership, particularly intelligence cooperation, training and information sharing, will continue,” Uba added.
He stressed that the responsibility for defending Nigeria and protecting its citizens remained primarily with Nigerian security forces, while noting that cooperation with the US aimed to strengthen the capabilities of the Nigerian military.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria has consistently maintained that the responsibility for the defence of Nigeria and the protection of its citizens rests primarily with Nigerian security forces,” the DDI said.
He explained that the bilateral security partnership covered intelligence sharing, training, technical assistance and other forms of professional military cooperation.
Uba urged the media and members of the public not to interpret the adjustment in the presence of foreign military personnel as an indication of weakening security cooperation or Nigeria’s defence capacity.
“We equally call on the media and the Nigerian public to avoid interpreting a routine or mission-specific adjustment in foreign military presence as evidence of a collapse in Nigerian security cooperation or national defence capability,” he said.
He reiterated that the Nigeria-US security relationship remained enduring and that cooperation in areas of mutual interest was expected to continue.
The clarification came after US officials said most of the additional forces deployed for the Lake Chad operation had returned following the completion of their mission, while intelligence sharing and broader security cooperation with Nigeria would continue.