A former Army Spokesman, Brigadier General Sani Usman (retd.), has described the deployment of United States military personnel to Nigeria as a timely and strategic boost to ongoing counterinsurgency efforts, noting that the collaboration is already delivering results.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Monday, Usman said the presence of US forces, particularly in intelligence and surveillance roles, has significantly improved the effectiveness of Nigerian troops in tackling insurgency and related security threats.

He described the development as “a welcome and commendable development,” stressing that Nigeria’s security challenges require both regional and international cooperation.

According to him, “the support by the United States comes in handy… particularly insurgency and terrorism as well as banditry and kidnapping, which cut across borders.”

Usman noted that the collaboration has already begun to yield tangible results, citing recent military successes linked to improved intelligence sharing. “The expectation has started to be met… forces were able to take out four out of six henchmen of Boko Haram terrorists… brought about by the surveillance and intelligence provided by the United States,” he said.

He explained that having US personnel on the ground has addressed previous delays in intelligence transmission, which often rendered such information ineffective. “Before now, information would be sent to Washington and relayed back to Abuja… by then it had become stale and the terrorists would have moved,” he stated.

“But now that you have them on ground… providing timely and accurate information, the communication gap has been reduced,” he added.

On the issue of timelines in defeating insurgency, Usman said progress would depend on sustained operational success and continued collaboration, noting that Nigerian troops are already recording gains in affected areas.

He pointed to the gradual return of displaced persons and reconstruction efforts in parts of the North-East as indicators of improvement. “You have seen so many towns where people are going back to their ancestral homes… quite a number of things are happening,” he said.

While acknowledging broader concerns about foreign military presence, Usman maintained that the current deployment appears limited to operational support rather than a permanent base. “I think it is the continuation of the previous support… it is giving the desired results in providing the intelligence required”, he explained.

He added that the partnership also reflects wider global security concerns, noting that terrorist networks in the region are linked to international groups. “It is not just about Nigeria, but also about world security,” he said. (AriseNews TV)

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