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The US has been conducting intelligence-gathering flights over Nigeria since late November, reflecting a growing level of security collaboration between the two nations.
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Join our WhatsApp ChannelA current US official confirmed that American aircraft had been flying over Nigeria, citing diplomatic sensitivities. Another administration official said Washington was continuing to work with Abuja to “address religious violence, anti-Christian attacks, and the destabilising spread of terrorism”.
The flights, operated by Mississippi-based Tenax Aerospace, typically depart from Accra, Ghana’s capital, and fly across Nigerian airspace before returning to Ghana. Liam Karr, Africa team lead at the Critical Threats Project of the American Enterprise Institute, said the operation appeared to be based out of Accra, “a known hub for the US military’s logistics network in Africa”.
The surveillance activity comes amid heightened diplomatic tension after President Donald Trump threatened possible military action over what he described as Nigeria’s failure to curb violence against Christian communities. The US government has held “productive meetings” with Nigerian officials, but the Pentagon declined to comment on intelligence matters.
Nigeria’s government has rejected claims that Christians are being systematically targeted, arguing that armed groups attack both Muslims and Christians and that the conflict reflects a complex security crisis rather than religious persecution.
