About 100 US troops have been deployed to support Nigerian troops in their fight against Islamist militants. The US troops are also said to be providing security intelligence and assisting Nigerian troops.

The Nigerian Army spokesman, General Samila Uba, said US troops and equipment had arrived in Bauchi, the northwestern state of the country.

The spokesman said the US troops were deployed to Nigeria at the request of the country's government and would not be involved in hostilities.

The US has previously carried out airstrikes on two camps of Islamist militants in northwestern Nigeria.

President Bola Tinubu has praised the US military for its action against Islamist militants known as the 'Lakuraw' in Sokoto State.

The Nigerian government has asked the United States to support its fight against militant groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State, among others.

Nigeria has recently been embroiled in a crisis over a range of militant groups, including Islamist militants and criminal gangs known locally as "bandits" who kidnap people for ransom.

Instabilities related to land tenure and secession have also been rife in Nigeria.