The US has been carrying out intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, signalling heightened security cooperation between both countries, according to flight tracking data and US officials.
According to an exclusive report released on Monday, the purpose of the surveillance missions could not be independently confirmed.
However, the planes come after US President Donald Trump threatened to engage militarily in Nigeria in November, citing the government’s refusal to cease violence against Christian communities.
Reuters said that the surveillance efforts come months after a US pilot working for a missionary outfit was kidnapped in neighboring Niger.
Flight tracking data from December identified Tenax Aerospace, a Mississippi-based company that provides special mission aircraft and works closely with the US military, as the operator.
The company did not respond to requests for comment.
The Africa team lead at the Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise.
Karr stated that the flights suggested Washington was rebuilding its intelligence capacity in the region after Niger last year ordered US troops to leave a major desert air base and instead turned to Russia for security assistance.
“In recent weeks, we’ve seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr told Reuters.
A former US official stated that the aircraft was one of several assets sent to Ghana by the Trump administration in November.
While it was unknown how many planes remained, the person stated that the missions included hunting down the kidnapped US pilot and gathering data on extremist groups operating in Nigeria, including Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province.
A current US official confirmed the plane had flown over Nigeria but declined to elaborate, citing diplomatic sensitivity.
Another administration source stated that Washington was still working with Nigeria to “address religious violence, anti-Christian attacks, and the destabilizing spread of terrorism.”
All officials spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The Pentagon issued a statement stating that the US government held “productive meetings” with Nigeria in response to Trump’s message but declined to comment on intelligence activity.
Nigeria’s military spokeswoman and Ghana’s deputy defense minister did not reply to calls for comment.
Nigeria has frequently stated that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, contending that US accusations of Christian persecution simplify a complicated security situation while ignoring measures to defend religious freedom.
A Nigerian security source told Reuters that the US agreed to deploy air assets for information collection during a meeting between National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on November 20.
A representative for the Nigerian military did not return a request for comment.
On November 7, flight monitoring data showed that the Tenax Aerospace aircraft was at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.
The US Special Operations Command’s headquarters are located in MacDill.
The aircraft then traveled to Ghana on November 24, days after the high-level security meeting, and has since flown over Nigeria virtually regularly.
The aircraft is a Gulfstream V, a long-range commercial jet that has been adapted for espionage, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, according to the data.
The development comes as Nigeria’s security situation worsens.
Following violent attacks, kidnappings, and the abduction of over 300 pupils in northern regions, President Bola Tinubu declared a security emergency last month and ordered mass recruitment into the army and police.
