The United States of America has resumed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations over Nigeria’s North-East, focusing on militant activity in the Sambisa Forest, shortly after recent airstrikes against ISIS-linked fighters in Sokoto State.
A Sahel-based terrorism analyst, Brant Philip, revealed the renewed operations on Saturday, citing flight-tracking data that showed a US aircraft conducting surveillance missions over Borno State.
According to the data, the aircraft involved was a Gulfstream V jet, a long-range platform commonly adapted for ISR missions.
Philip said the surveillance, which briefly paused following Thursday night’s strikes in Sokoto, resumed within 24 hours and is now targeting the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the extremist group active in North-East Nigeria and the Lake Chad region.
Open-source intelligence analysts noted that the surveillance aircraft has been flying regularly over Nigerian airspace since November 24. The missions reportedly originate from Ghana, which serves as a logistics base for US military operations in West Africa.
The aircraft is said to be linked to Tenax Aerospace, an American company known for providing special mission aircraft that support US military activities. Analysts observed that the jet has conducted near-daily flights across parts of Nigeria since the surveillance campaign began.
Sources familiar with the operation disclosed that the flights are aimed at multiple objectives, including monitoring terrorist movements and assisting efforts to locate an American pilot kidnapped in neighbouring Niger Republic.
The renewed US involvement follows a recent meeting in Washington between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The talks reportedly addressed security cooperation amid rising concerns over terrorist attacks in Nigeria.
After the meeting, Hegseth stated that the United States would intensify cooperation with Nigeria to counter jihadist violence, particularly attacks targeting Christian communities.
The airstrikes carried out in North-West Nigeria on Thursday night, which reportedly hit ISIS-linked fighters, were described by US President Donald Trump as the first step in fulfilling Washington’s renewed security commitment to Nigeria. He also warned that additional strikes could follow.
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