IN SHORT: As Nigeria grapples with insecurity, some Facebook users claim that the country will deploy 400 soldiers on a peacekeeping mission to the Gambia. But there is no evidence to support the claim.
On 17 November 2025, a group of armed men abducted 25 schoolgirls from the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi state, northwestern Nigeria.
A few days later, unknown gunmen attacked the St Mary’s Catholic School in the country’s Niger state and abducted 303 students and 12 teachers. Since then, 50 children have escaped.
Nigerians have criticised president Bola Tinubu’s government over insecurity.
Shortly after these incidents, several social media posts claimed that the Nigerian government was planning to deploy soldiers to the Gambia.
“Breaking News: Nigeria to deploy 400 soldiers to Gambia for peacekeeping,” begins one such post.
It continues: “Since gaining independence, Nigeria has contributed significantly to global peacekeeping, sending over 100,000 troops to more than 40 countries worldwide. Reports highlight that Nigerian commanders have played a key role in maintaining peace both within and outside Africa, earning international recognition and honors. The government has also advised troops to uphold discipline and protect Nigeria’s reputation while serving abroad.”
The same claim appears here, here and here. Many responses expressed disapproval, arguing that Nigeria was prioritising external issues at the expense of its own citizens.
Nigeria has previously been part of the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) peacekeeping missions.
But is the West African country planning to send 400 soldiers to the Gambia for a peacekeeping mission? We checked.
No proof to support claim
Africa Check found no credible news reports on the government’s plans to send 400 Nigerian soldiers to the Gambia for a peacekeeping mission.
Instead, we found several reports from June 2025 stating that the Nigerian Armed Forces had deployed at least 197 troops for the Ecowas mission in the Gambia.
If the claim that Nigeria was planning to send another batch of soldiers to the Gambia were genuine, the media would have also covered it. A deployment of this magnitude during a security crisis would most likely have drawn widespread criticism from citizens and caught the media’s attention.
The government usually posts such announcements on its official social media accounts or websites. We searched the website and the accounts for anything related to the claim, but came up empty.
There is no evidence that the Nigerian government is planning to send 400 soldiers to the Gambia for a peacekeeping mission.
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