The United States has reportedly stepped up intelligence gathering operations over Nigeria, conducting surveillance flights across large parts of the country since late November. Flight tracking data and statements from US officials cited by Reuters indicate that these missions form part of an enhanced security cooperation effort between Washington and Abuja.
The precise objectives of the surveillance operations remain unconfirmed, but analysts suggest the flights are linked to growing concerns over violence targeting Christian communities in Nigeria. The operations come in the wake of former US President Donald Trump’s threats in November to intervene militarily in Nigeria, citing what he described as the government’s failure to protect Christians from ongoing attacks by armed groups.
This heightened surveillance initiative also follows a high-profile kidnapping of a US pilot working for a missionary organization in neighboring Niger, underscoring escalating security challenges across the West African region. Flight tracking data for December shows that the contractor operated aircraft typically departs from Ghana, flies over various regions in Nigeria, and returns to Accra.
The aircraft operator, Tenax Aerospace, a Mississippi based firm that provides special mission aircraft and maintains close cooperation with the US military, did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the operations. Experts believe the flights reflect Washington’s efforts to rebuild intelligence capacity in the region after Niger ordered US troops to leave a major desert air base last year and sought Russian assistance for its security needs.
“In recent weeks, we have seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” said Liam Karr, Africa team lead at the Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise Institute, who analysed the flight data. Karr noted that Accra has become a central hub for the US military’s logistics and operational network in Africa.
A former US official confirmed that the aircraft were redeployed to Ghana in November as part of the Trump administration’s strategic security measures. According to the official, the missions include tracking the kidnapped US pilot and monitoring militant groups operating in Nigeria, such as Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province.
A current US official verified that the aircraft have been flying over Nigeria, but declined to provide further details, citing diplomatic sensitivity. Another administration official emphasized that Washington is continuing to collaborate closely with Nigerian authorities to address religious violence, anti-Christian attacks, and the destabilizing spread of terrorism.
The Pentagon issued a statement confirming it had held productive meetings with Nigeria following Trump’s warning, but declined to comment on intelligence operations over Nigerian territory. Nigerian military spokespersons and Ghana’s deputy defence minister did not respond to requests for comment.
A Nigerian security source told Reuters that during a November 20 meeting between National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, the deployment of air assets for intelligence gathering over Nigeria was agreed upon.
Flight tracking data shows that the Tenax Aerospace Gulfstream V aircraft, a long range business jet commonly modified for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, was at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida on November 7. It later flew to Ghana on November 24, days after the high level security meeting, and has since flown over Nigerian airspace almost daily.
Nigeria has repeatedly stated that violent armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, arguing that US claims of Christian persecution oversimplify the complex security situation in the country and fail to recognize ongoing government efforts to safeguard religious freedom.
Security analysts have noted that the intensified surveillance underscores the growing US concern over religiously motivated violence, the spread of terrorism, and the potential destabilization of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. By maintaining aerial intelligence operations, Washington appears to be seeking better situational awareness of militant activities, as well as the protection of US nationals and interests in the region.
The operations also highlight the geopolitical dimension of security in West Africa, particularly as the US and Nigerian governments work to counter threats posed by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other violent extremist groups. With continued intelligence cooperation, analysts say both countries aim to improve threat detection and response, while also sending a warning to perpetrators of violence against civilian populations.
As Nigeria faces mounting internal security challenges, the presence of US surveillance aircraft indicates heightened international scrutiny and cooperation, emphasizing that religious violence, kidnappings, and insurgent activity remain critical issues for global security observers.
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