US Deploys Surveillance Flights Over Nigeria Following Trump Threats, Report Reveals

The United States has significantly increased its security monitoring of Nigeria, deploying new intelligence-gathering flights over the country, according to a recent report. This escalation follows public threats of military action against Nigeria made by U.S. President Donald Trump over alleged religious violence.

The surveillance missions reportedly began in late November and are focused on gathering intelligence related to terrorism, kidnappings, and religiously motivated violence. While U.S. officials have quietly confirmed the flights exist, they have not publicly disclosed their specific objectives, citing diplomatic and security sensitivities.

Strategic Operations from Ghana
Flight data indicates the aircraft, identified as a modified Gulfstream V jet operated by U.S.-based Tenax Aerospace, departs from Accra, Ghana. Analysts note that Ghana serves as a key logistics hub for U.S. military activities in Africa, making it a strategic base. This move is seen as an effort to rebuild American intelligence capabilities in West Africa after U.S. forces were expelled from Niger, which has since deepened its ties with Russia.

Context of Trump’s Threats and Nigerian Pushback
The surveillance follows President Trump’s accusation that the Nigerian government is failing to protect Christian communities from violence, a claim that sparked a diplomatic row. Nigerian authorities have consistently rejected allegations of systematic religious persecution, asserting that armed groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) target citizens of all faiths and that the crisis is driven by terrorism and criminality, not religion alone.

Cooperation and Growing Crisis
A Nigerian security source revealed that a high-level security meeting in November resulted in an agreement for enhanced intelligence cooperation between the two nations, which included the approval of aerial surveillance support.

This development coincides with a severe deterioration of security within Nigeria, marked by deadly attacks, mass kidnappings, and school abductions, primarily in the northern states. In response, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has declared a state of emergency and initiated large-scale recruitment into the armed forces and police to combat the escalating threats.