Ex-army general warns against expectation of direct US combat role in Nigeria
Following the deployment of United States troops to Nigeria to support counter-terrorism efforts, a former Director of Operations at the Army Headquarters, Major General Ijioma N. Ijioma (retd), has cautioned Nigerians against expecting the foreign soldiers to engage bandits and terrorists directly on the battlefield.
The retired general said the US troops were deployed mainly for intelligence, training and logistical support, insisting that the responsibility of defeating insurgents rests solely with the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Last week, the United States dispatched a small military team to Nigeria. The Head of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, said the deployment followed increased collaboration between both countries after agreeing that more needed to be done to tackle terrorism. He, however, did not disclose details of the team’s size or operational scope. It was gathered that their role would largely involve intelligence gathering and enabling Nigerian forces to strike terrorist-affiliated groups.
Speaking on the development, Major General Ijioma accused Nigeria’s leadership of lacking the political will to decisively confront banditry and terrorism. He argued that if the Federal Government had handled the 1967 Biafran insurgency with the same restraint currently applied to bandits and Boko Haram, Nigeria would not have remained united.
According to him, terrorists have continued to grow bolder despite recent US airstrikes on their camps, stressing that Nigeria possesses the military capacity to neutralize insurgents if there is genuine resolve from the leadership.
“The United States does not risk the lives of its soldiers for nothing,” Ijioma said, urging Nigerians to demand clarity on the nature of agreements between Nigeria and the US. He questioned why Nigerian fighter jets were swiftly deployed to Benin Republic to quell an attempted coup while bandits killing citizens daily remain largely unchecked.
“The strike the US carried out in Sokoto and Kwara there is nowhere within Nigeria that our aircraft cannot reach. The reason they haven’t done the needful clearly shows a lack of political will,” he added.
Ijioma maintained that US troops would not fight Nigeria’s war, stressing that their involvement would be limited to training, intelligence sharing and technical assistance.
He also recalled past military cooperation between Nigeria and the US during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, noting that American military personnel once occupied sections of the Defence Headquarters, a move he said was opposed by the late Chief of Army Staff, General Victor Malu.
Also speaking, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police, Goodwin Nwobodo, said Nigeria must demonstrate commitment for the collaboration to succeed. He warned that poor cooperation or sabotage by local authorities could undermine US support.
According to Nwobodo, the US can only provide technical assistance and cannot operate independently without Nigeria’s consent, adding that any expansion of their role would require official approval to avoid violating Nigeria’s sovereignty.
He emphasized that Nigeria’s security challenges cannot be resolved by a small foreign military presence, insisting that meaningful progress depends on the actions and resolve of Nigerian authorities.
