US Surveillance Flights Detected Over Nigeria Amid Heightened Security Ties

The United States has been conducting intelligence and surveillance flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, according to flight tracking data and accounts from current and former U.S. officials.

The operations signal heightened security engagement between Washington and Abuja following President Donald Trump’s warning that the United States could take military action against terrorist groups operating in Nigeria. The surveillance flights reportedly began shortly after Trump publicly criticised Nigeria’s handling of violence that he said was targeting Christian communities.

While the specific intelligence objectives of the missions have not been disclosed, the flights come weeks after Trump threatened U.S. military intervention over what he described as the Nigerian government’s failure to curb ongoing attacks. The operations are also occurring months after a U.S. pilot working for a missionary organisation was kidnapped in neighbouring Niger.

Flight tracking data reviewed in December shows that a contractor-operated aircraft regularly departs from Ghana, flies over Nigerian territory, and returns to Accra. Reuters reported that the aircraft is operated by Mississippi-based Tenax Aerospace, a company known for providing specialised mission aircraft and working closely with the U.S. military. The company did not respond to requests for comment.

Liam Karr, Africa Team Lead at the Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise Institute, said his analysis of the data indicates the flights are being coordinated from Accra, which serves as a key logistics hub for U.S. military operations in Africa. He described the missions as early signs that Washington is rebuilding its regional intelligence capacity after Niger ordered U.S. forces to vacate a major air base last year and shifted its security partnership toward Russia.

“In recent weeks, we’ve seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr said.

A former U.S. official said the aircraft was among several assets relocated to Ghana by the Trump administration in November. According to the official, the missions include efforts to track the kidnapped U.S. pilot and collect intelligence on militant groups such as Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province.

A current U.S. official confirmed that the flights have been taking place over Nigeria but declined to provide further details, citing diplomatic sensitivity. Another administration official said the United States continues to work with Nigeria to address religious violence, attacks on Christian communities, and the spread of terrorism. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity.

In a statement, the Pentagon said it held productive discussions with Nigerian officials following Trump’s comments but declined to comment on intelligence operations. Nigeria’s military spokesperson and Ghana’s deputy defence minister did not respond to requests for comment.

The Nigerian government has consistently stated that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, arguing that claims of Christian persecution oversimplify the country’s complex security challenges and overlook ongoing efforts to protect religious freedom. Despite these disagreements, Abuja has agreed to deepen cooperation with Washington to strengthen its security forces against militant groups.

Nigeria’s population is roughly evenly split between Muslims, who are concentrated mainly in the north, and Christians, who are predominant in the south.

A Nigerian security source said the United States agreed during a November 20 meeting between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to deploy air assets for intelligence-gathering purposes. A spokesperson for the Nigerian military did not respond to follow-up inquiries.

Flight tracking data also shows the Tenax Aerospace aircraft was seen on November 7 at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, which hosts U.S. Special Operations Command, before flying to Ghana on November 24, days after the high-level security meeting. The aircraft, identified as a Gulfstream V jet commonly modified for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, has flown over Nigeria almost daily since the operation began.