Femi Ashekun/
The United States has intensified intelligence and surveillance flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, signalling a deepening of security cooperation between Washington and Abuja amid rising concerns over militant violence, according to flight tracking data and multiple officials.
The operations follow warnings by US President Donald Trump, who in November threatened possible military intervention over what he described as Nigeria’s failure to halt attacks on Christian communities.
The flights are also taking place months after a US pilot working for a missionary organisation was kidnapped in neighbouring Niger.
In an exclusive report, Reuters found that the contractor operated aircraft typically takes off from Ghana, flies repeated missions over Nigeria and returns to Accra, based on December flight tracking data and confirmation from current and former US officials.
Reuters could not establish precisely what intelligence the flights are designed to collect.
Flight data identifies the operator as Mississippi based Tenax Aerospace, a company that provides special mission aircraft and works closely with the US military. The firm did not respond to requests for comment.
Liam Karr, Africa team lead at the Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise Institute, said analysis of the flight data suggested the operation was being run from Accra, a known hub in the US military logistics network in West Africa.
He said the activity pointed to Washington rebuilding regional surveillance capacity after Niger ordered US forces to withdraw last year and pivoted towards Russia for security support.
“In recent weeks we have seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr said.
A former US official said the aircraft was among several assets moved to Ghana in November. While the number of aircraft deployed remains unclear, the missions are understood to include efforts to track the kidnapped US pilot and to gather intelligence on militant groups operating in Nigeria, including Boko Haram and its splinter faction, Islamic State West Africa Province.
A current US official confirmed the flights but declined to provide details, citing diplomatic sensitivities.
Another administration official said Washington continued to engage Nigeria to address religious violence, anti Christian attacks and the expanding threat posed by extremist groups.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Pentagon said it held productive discussions with Nigerian authorities following Trump’s public remarks but declined to comment on intelligence activities.
Nigeria’s military spokesperson and Ghana’s deputy defence minister did not respond to requests for comment.
Nigeria has repeatedly said armed groups targeted both Muslims and Christians, arguing that US claims of Christian persecution oversimplified a complex security crisis.
Nonetheless, Abuja has agreed to work with Washington to strengthen its capacity to combat militant violence.
A Nigerian security source said US air assets were discussed during a November 20 meeting between National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, with an agreement to deploy surveillance capabilities.
Nigerian officials have not publicly confirmed the arrangement.
Flight tracking data shows the Tenax Aerospace aircraft, a modified Gulfstream V often used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, was seen at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida on November 7 before flying to Ghana on November 24.
The aircraft has since conducted near daily flights over Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu, last month, declared a security emergency, ordering mass recruitment into the army and police following deadly attacks and kidnappings across several states, including the abduction of more than 300 schoolchildren in a Catholic school in Niger State.
The US has meanwhile taken punitive steps against Nigeria, adding it back to a religious freedom watch list in October and including it this week among countries facing partial travel restrictions.
Trump has also directed the Defense Department to prepare options for rapid military action if violence against Christians persists.
The two countries have since established a joint security task force, according to US Representative, Riley Moore, who recently visited Nigeria.
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