United States has been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, according to flight tracking data and U.S. officials. The development signals increased security cooperation between both countries, though Reuters said it could not determine the specific information the flights are intended to gather.
The flights follow U.S. President Donald Trump’s November threats of possible military intervention over violence against Christian communities. They also come months after a U.S. pilot working for a missionary agency was kidnapped in neighbouring Niger. The contractor-operated aircraft typically takes off from Ghana, flies over Nigeria, and returns to Accra, tracking data shows.
Flight data identified Mississippi-based Tenax Aerospace as the operator. Liam Karr of the American Enterprise Institute said the operation appeared to be run from Accra, a key U.S. military logistics hub. “In recent weeks we’ve seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” he said, noting efforts to rebuild U.S. capacity after its withdrawal from Niger.
U.S. officials said the missions include intelligence gathering on militant groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, while Nigeria has agreed to cooperate despite rejecting claims of religious persecution. President Bola Tinubu recently declared a security emergency amid rising violence, as Washington continues diplomatic and security engagements with Abuja.