Nigeria’s defence minister, Christopher Musa, says US forces in the country are only offering training support and serving in an advisory capacity.

In a statement, Timothy Antigha, the minister’s special assistant on media, said Musa spoke while presiding over the first edition of the ‘Monthly Operational Briefing’ on Wednesday at the ministry’s conference room in Abuja.

“The Americans are in Nigeria on a purely training assistance and advisory role,” Musa was reported as saying, while promising that the “armed forces of Nigeria will be in command of all operations conducted within the nation’s territory”.

The minister assessed existing military operations, identified numerous risks to national security, and offered “strategic guidance to the armed services”.

“General Musa commended the professionalism, resilience, and gallantry of Nigerian troops and reaffirmed the commitment of his ministry to supporting troops’ welfare and improving the operational efficiency of the Armed Forces,” Antigha said.

Following a new security cooperation agreement between the two nations, the United States deployed ground soldiers to Nigeria in February.

After President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’ (CPC), the United States and Nigeria signed a military cooperation deal.

Trump has threatened to deploy soldiers into Nigeria “with guns blazing to wipe out the terrorists who are killing our Christians.”

On December 25, the United States conducted airstrikes on two terrorist strongholds in Bauni woodland in Tangaza LGA, Sokoto State.