The United States has been quietly carrying out intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, signalling heightened security cooperation between Washington and Abuja, according to an exclusive report by Reuters.
The report, published on Monday, cited flight-tracking data as well as current and former U.S. officials, noting that the precise purpose of the surveillance missions could not be immediately and independently confirmed.
The development comes weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump warned in November that Washington could consider military intervention in Nigeria over what he described as the government’s failure to stop violence against Christian communities. In a series of social media posts at the time, Trump threatened to halt U.S. aid to Nigeria and hinted at possible military action if the killings continued.
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According to Reuters, flight data from December shows that the contractor-operated aircraft typically departed from Ghana, flew across Nigerian airspace, and returned to Accra. The aircraft is operated by Tenax Aerospace, a Mississippi-based firm that provides special-mission aircraft and works closely with the U.S. military. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Liam Karr, Africa team lead at the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, who analysed the flight data, said the operations appeared to be coordinated from Accra, a known hub for U.S. military logistics in Africa. He added that the renewed flights suggest Washington is rebuilding its intelligence capacity in the region following Niger’s decision last year to expel U.S. forces from a major air base and pivot its security cooperation towards Russia.
“In recent weeks, we’ve seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr said.
A former U.S. official told Reuters that the aircraft was among several assets moved to Ghana in November and that the missions included efforts to track a kidnapped U.S. pilot, as well as to gather intelligence on militant groups operating in Nigeria, including Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province.
A current U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the aircraft had been flying over Nigeria but declined to provide further details, citing diplomatic sensitivity. Another administration official said the United States continued to work with Nigerian authorities to address religious violence and the spread of terrorism.
In a statement, the Pentagon said it had held productive meetings with Nigerian officials following Trump’s remarks but declined to comment on intelligence operations.
Nigeria’s military spokesperson and Ghana’s deputy defence minister did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
