The United States has delivered what it described as “critical” military supplies to Nigerian forces in Abuja as part of efforts to deepen bilateral defence cooperation, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced on Tuesday. AFRICOM said the support underlines a shared security partnership and is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s ongoing operations amid a worsening security crisis.
The development comes against the backdrop of heightened international scrutiny, following US allegations that violence in Nigeria amounts to persecution of Christian communities. Nigerian authorities have firmly rejected claims of genocide or religiously targeted violence, maintaining that insecurity affects both Christians and Muslims and is driven by complex socio-economic and criminal factors.
The latest delivery builds on existing counter-terrorism collaboration. Late last year, the US conducted airstrikes against militant camps in northwestern Nigeria in coordination with the Nigerian government, signalling a continued strategic alignment aimed at weakening extremist networks.