Security and jihadi expert Brant Philip has claimed that the United States has begun operations inside Nigeria under an agreement with the Nigerian government aimed at tackling escalating terrorism.
Philip stated on Saturday that a US aircraft carried out a reconnaissance operation in Borno State, taking off from Accra, Ghana. “Confirming my earlier reports, a manned US ISR aircraft was conducting reconnaissance over ISWAP territory in southwestern Lake Chad, Borno State, and is currently on its way back,” he wrote on X.
He added that, according to a private source, the US will be allowed to conduct UAV airstrikes against terrorist targets in Nigeria. The scope, he said, is limited to unmanned aircraft, with manned and unmanned planes filling intelligence gaps for the Nigerian military. The Kainji Air Base in Niger State could potentially serve as a launchpad.
Philip noted that the ISR aircraft had returned for a third consecutive day to monitor ISWAP positions in Mantiqah Krinwa, Borno State, highlighting ongoing cooperation between the two countries.
Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad reacted strongly, urging Philip to avoid revealing sensitive information that could aid ISWAP. “Stop exposing this vital information to ISWAP please,” he wrote.
The US-Nigeria military collaboration comes after Nigeria was designated a “Country of Particular Concern” by former President Donald Trump over alleged violence against Christians. In response, Nigeria sent a security delegation to the Pentagon, led by National Security Advisor Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to discuss cooperation against West African jihadist groups.
While Philip’s claims suggest active US involvement, neither the Nigerian government nor the United States has officially confirmed any military operations on Nigerian soil. Meanwhile, kidnappings, killings, and banditry continue across the country, leaving Nigerians struggling with persistent insecurity.