The United States has resumed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations in Nigeria, just days after conducting airstrikes targeting Islamic State militants in Sokoto State.
On Saturday, December 27, Sahel terrorism analyst Brandon Philip revealed flight-tracking data showing a U.S. aircraft operating over parts of northeastern Nigeria, including Borno State. The aircraft identified was a Gulfstream V, a long-range jet commonly adapted for ISR missions.
Philip explained that the renewed surveillance is focused on the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which is primarily active in Nigeria’s North-East and the Lake Chad Basin.
“The United States resumed ISR operations today against ISWAP in the Sambisa Forest, Borno State, after a one-day pause following the Sokoto strikes,” Philip posted on X.
Flight records indicate that U.S. intelligence missions in Nigeria began on November 24, with the aircraft flying in from Ghana, a major logistics hub for U.S. military operations in Africa. Since then, the jet has reportedly conducted near-daily flights over Nigeria.
The data links the aircraft’s operator to Tenax Aerospace, a company known for providing specialised aviation support to the U.S. military.
When the surveillance flights first commenced, a former U.S. official said the missions were intended to help locate an American pilot kidnapped in neighbouring Niger and to collect intelligence on militant groups operating within Nigeria.
The resumption of ISR activity comes shortly after Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, met with U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington. The meeting followed remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who warned of possible military intervention in response to Nigeria’s security challenges.
Following the talks, Hegseth stated that the U.S. Department of Defense would work “aggressively” with Nigeria to confront what he described as the persecution of Christians by jihadist groups. Trump later indicated that additional strikes would follow the Sokoto operation, suggesting an extended phase of U.S. military involvement.
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