The United States has ramped up intelligence and surveillance flights over Nigeria in recent weeks, following former President Donald Trump’s warning that Washington might intervene if Nigeria fails to curb escalating violence, according to flight data and sources familiar with the operations.
Modified Gulfstream V aircraft operated by Mississippi-based contractor Tenax Aerospace have been conducting near-daily reconnaissance missions, mainly departing from Accra, Ghana, before returning south. US officials say the flights target militant groups in northern Nigeria, including Boko Haram and ISWAP, as well as regional threats spilling across the Sahel.
The move follows Trump’s remarks about protecting Christian communities from attacks, a warning that coincided with an expansion of intelligence activity. Analysts note that contractor-operated flights allow the US to maintain high-end surveillance without establishing a permanent military presence, reflecting a “calibrated approach” to counterterrorism.
US officials also highlight that the operations support efforts to locate a US pilot kidnapped in Niger earlier in 2025. The surveillance reflects Washington’s broader strategy in Africa, focusing on intelligence, partnerships, and pressure rather than direct troop deployments, while Nigeria continues to battle insurgency and banditry under its security emergency measures.
