The Presidency says U.S. President Donald Trump has praised President Bola Tinubu's leadership and confirmed that U.S. Special Operations Forces, including Navy SEAL Team 6, have been deployed to train Nigerian troops in counterterrorism operations.
In a statement on Wednesday, Tinubu's Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Trump conveyed the message in a letter dated July 6, 2026.
According to the Presidency, Trump commended Tinubu's efforts to tackle insecurity and described the U.S.-Nigeria security partnership as historic.
The letter said the deployment of U.S. Special Operations Forces is part of the 2026 U.S.-Nigeria Defence Cooperation Roadmap, which provides a framework for joint military training, intelligence sharing and coordinated operations against terrorist groups.
The Presidency said the roadmap followed a Joint Working Group established by both countries in November 2025.
According to the statement, a joint operation in Borno State in May killed ISWAP deputy leader Abu-Bilal al-Minuki and dozens of other militants.
The Defence Headquarters later said about 175 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters had been killed since the joint operations began.
Onanuga also said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Frank Garcia recently visited Abuja and reaffirmed Washington's commitment to strengthening cooperation with Nigeria on security and other areas.
The Federal Government has maintained that terrorist attacks in Nigeria affect both Christians and Muslims, rejecting previous claims that Christians are being specifically targeted.
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