The United States has intensified its intelligence operations in Nigeria as of late November, spurred by former President Donald Trump’s calls for investigations into the persecution of Christians and the potential for intervention in the region. Reports indicate that a U.S. contractor, Tenax Aerospace, based in Mississippi, has been operating surveillance flights in Nigeria, with data from December revealing aircraft taking off from Ghana before conducting missions over Nigerian territories.
According to a former U.S. official, these operations are focused on multiple objectives, including the recovery of a U.S. pilot kidnapped in Niger and intelligence gathering on terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, ISIS in West Africa, and the Fulani militia. These groups have been notorious for launching attacks primarily in northern Nigeria, often targeting Christians and moderate Muslims.
While specific details about the surveillance missions remain confidential, a current U.S. official confirmed that the aircraft have been active over Nigeria but refrained from providing additional information due to diplomatic sensitivities. Kevin Karr, from the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, noted that the operations appear to be conducted from an airport in Accra, which serves as a critical logistics hub for U.S. military operations across Africa.
Karr observed a resurgence in intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria, highlighting that this could signal the U.S. rebuilding its operational capacity in the region, especially after Niger began utilizing Russian military support for their air base operations.
Trump’s administration has explicitly partnered with Nigerian authorities to combat religious violence and the escalating threat of terrorism in the region. By late October, Trump had urged Congress to address the situation, labeling Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” after the shocking reports of widespread atrocities against Christians by Islamic extremist groups. His warning to Nigeria’s government in November underscored a potential U.S. military response if the violence continues unabated.
As the situation evolves, the U.S. remains committed to monitoring and addressing the complex security challenges in Nigeria, emphasizing the need to protect vulnerable populations from extremist violence.