Security analyst urges US to extend police training programme
A security analyst, Kingsley Okafor, has called on the United States government to extend and expand its police training programme in Nigeria, warning that allowing the initiative to lapse could
A security analyst, Kingsley Okafor, has called on the United States government to extend and expand its police training programme in Nigeria, warning that allowing the initiative to lapse could undermine broader security gains, as Washington increases its military advisory presence in the country.
Okafor’s appeal came after approximately 100 American troops arrived at Bauchi Airfield in Northeast Nigeria on February 16, 2026, the first large-scale deployment of U.S. military trainers to Nigeria.
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The deployment, overseen by United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), follows U.S. airstrikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in Sokoto State on Christmas Day 2025 and forms part of a renewed security engagement between Abuja and Washington.
In a statement to newsmen in Kaduna, the security analyst noted that for the past three years, retired American law enforcement professionals have worked directly with the Nigeria Police Force, training more than 400 officers across key units, including the Complaint Response Unit, Counter Terrorism Unit, Mobile Police Unit, and Special Intervention Squad.
"Under the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) program, American police trainers have spent the past three years collaborating directly with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
