The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has assured Nigerians that the planned withdrawal of about 200 United States military personnel from Nigeria will not affect the country’s longstanding security cooperation with Washington.
The DHQ urged Nigerians and the media not to interpret the planned troop drawdown as a breakdown in the bilateral defence relationship, stressing that intelligence sharing, military training, technical assistance and other forms of cooperation remain intact.
Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Samaila Uba, described the reported withdrawal as a routine adjustment based on specific operational requirements rather than an end to the Nigeria-US security partnership.
“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,” Uba said.
He described the relationship between both countries as “strong, enduring and mutually beneficial”, explaining that US military deployments are often tied to specific operational and counter-terrorism missions.
According to him, changes in the nature of military operations can require adjustments to the deployment of foreign personnel without affecting the broader strategic relationship.
“Our cooperation with the United States is designed to strengthen our capabilities through intelligence sharing, training, technical assistance and other forms of professional military cooperation,” he added.
The New York Times had earlier reported that about 200 US military personnel deployed to Nigeria to support intelligence gathering and counter-terrorism training were being withdrawn.
NCCSALW Denies Ribadu Link to Seized Arms
Meanwhile, the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW) has dismissed a viral video alleging that National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu was linked to the importation of illegal weapons intercepted at Tin Can Island Port in Lagos.
The Director-General of the NCCSALW, DIG Johnson Kokumo (retd.), described the claim as false, saying he was personally present when the Nigeria Customs Service handed over the seized weapons to the centre.
“The story in the video is not correct and cannot be correct,” Kokumo said.
He disclosed that 399 assorted automatic weapons intercepted by Customs at the port were formally handed over to the centre.
Kokumo also revealed that 1,419 illicit weapons were destroyed during the Second Quarter Arms Destruction Exercise for 2026, held on July 30 at the Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment, Giri, Abuja.
The latest exercise brought the total number of illicit weapons destroyed by the centre since 2022 to more than 19,000.
He said the destruction of the weapons was part of efforts to prevent terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, armed robbers and other criminal groups from gaining access to illicit firearms.
The NCCSALW boss further disclosed that the centre received 5,050 illicit, unserviceable, decommissioned and obsolete automatic weapons retrieved from the Nigeria Police Force in June.
He added that 399 JOJEF automatic guns intercepted by the Customs Service were handed over to the centre on August 17.
Kokumo stressed that the government was not targeting legitimate local arms manufacturers, noting that the skills of some artisanal producers could be harnessed for national development.
He, however, said authorities were particularly concerned about criminal manufacturers producing sophisticated weapons and were working to identify and tackle such operations while developing plans to integrate legitimate artisans into productive national activities.
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