The United States has been running intelligence‑gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November 2025, according to flight‑tracking data and current and former U.S. officials cited by Reuters. The surveillance missions, which could not be independently verified, follow President Donald Trump’s November warning that Washington might intervene militarily in Nigeria for failing to stop violence against Christian communities. In a social‑media post, Trump threatened to cut all aid and “go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns‑a‑blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” and instructed the Department of War to prepare for possible action.
Data for December shows a contractor‑operated Gulfstream V aircraft — a long‑range jet commonly modified for ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) — taking off from Accra, Ghana, flying over Nigerian airspace and returning to Accra. The plane is operated by Mississippi‑based Tenax Aerospace, a firm that supplies special‑mission aircraft and works closely with the U.S. military. Tenax did not respond to requests for comment.
Liam Karr, Africa team lead at the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, analysed the flights and said the operation appears centred in Accra, a known hub for U.S. logistics in Africa. He noted the flights signal Washington’s effort to rebuild intelligence capacity after Niger expelled U.S. forces from a desert air base last year and turned to Russia. “In recent weeks we’ve seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr added.
A former U.S. official said the aircraft was among several assets moved to Ghana in November. The missions reportedly include tracking a U.S. pilot kidnapped in neighbouring Niger and gathering intelligence on militant groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). A current U.S. official, speaking anonymously, confirmed the flights but declined details, citing diplomatic sensitivity. Another administration official said the United States continues to work with Nigeria to address religious violence and terrorism.
The Pentagon confirmed “productive meetings” with Nigerian authorities after Trump’s remarks but offered no comment on intelligence operations. Nigeria’s military spokesperson and Ghana’s deputy defence minister did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
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