A fresh wave of allegations has heightened scrutiny of U.S.–Nigeria security cooperation after a Sahel-focused terrorism tracker claimed that American surveillance aircraft have now entered Nigerian airspace, days after similar reports suggested the United States is preparing for unmanned drone strikes against terrorist targets inside the country.
The latest claim came from Brant Philip, who tracks extremist movements in the Sahel. In a series of posts on X, Philip said a manned U.S. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft on Saturday flew over Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) strongholds near the southwestern shores of Lake Chad in Borno State. He added that the aircraft had taken off from Accra, Ghana.
“Confirming my earlier reports, a manned U.S. ISR aircraft was conducting reconnaissance earlier today over ISWAP territory,” he wrote—an update that fueled intense debate online.
By Sunday, Philip reported the same aircraft had returned for a third straight day, circling repeatedly over ISWAP’s “Mantiqah Krinwa,” a notorious enclave on the fringes of Lake Chad.
These reports follow an earlier claim—also originating from a source cited by Philip—that the United States is preparing to conduct UAV strikes inside Nigeria under a new but undisclosed security arrangement. According to that earlier account, the agreement would allow only unmanned aircraft to be used for kinetic operations, explicitly excluding American fighter jets or bombers.
The unnamed source also said the U.S. military’s primary role would be closing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance gaps for Nigerian forces, using both manned and unmanned platforms. As part of that support, Kainji Air Base in Niger State—home to Nigeria’s A-29 Super Tucanos—was described as a possible launch site for U.S. operations, though no official confirmation exists.
Philip further alleged that the U.S. Department of Defence—referred to in his posts as the “Department of War”—has already started reconnaissance missions from American military facilities in Ghana, flying into Nigerian airspace without any public disclosure by Abuja.
The claims sparked swift backlash. Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad accused Philip of recklessly sharing sensitive operational details that could aid ISWAP fighters.
The controversy comes days after U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in Washington for high-level talks on terrorist threats and rising attacks on Christian communities.
Despite the mounting speculation, both the Nigerian and U.S. governments have remained silent—neither confirming nor denying that American ISR flights or drone-strike preparations are underway.
Meanwhile, Nigeria continues to confront a surge in kidnappings, extremist attacks and banditry, intensifying public anxiety as questions grow over the scale of foreign military involvement unfolding beyond public view.
The Newsmatrics reports that President Bola Tinubu has declared a national security emergency to ramp up efforts to tackle the crisis.
On Monday, the Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru resigned his appointment following embarrassing comments suggesting that bombs could not penetrate terrorists forest hideouts.
