A classified U.S. military reconnaissance operation has reportedly entered Nigerian airspace multiple times within the past 48 hours, gathering intelligence on ISWAP and Boko Haram positions across Borno State, according to authoritative security sources in Washington and West Africa.
The high-altitude RQ-4B Global Hawk, operated by the United States Air Force, was said to have taken off from a covert AFRICOM facility in Accra, Ghana, on Saturday, November 29, conducting three undetected entries into Nigeria within 24 hours. During the mission, the aircraft allegedly captured high-resolution imagery, video recordings, thermal signatures, and audio intercepts from terrorist hideouts around Lake Chad and the Sambisa axis.
Security insiders claim the round-the-clock surveillance is part of a larger joint counter-terrorism arrangement between Abuja and Washington, though neither government has publicly confirmed the operation.
The reported missions come amid a major restructuring at the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). The U.S. Senate recently confirmed Lt. Gen. Dagvin Anderson as AFRICOM commander, the first Air Force officer to hold the role as Washington seeks a more agile, independent security footprint on the continent.
The move separates AFRICOM operations from U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF), a shift analysts say is designed to counter growing Russian and Chinese influence in Africa. Morocco is being considered as a future permanent headquarters for the command.
Brant Phillip, a well-known Sahel security analyst and jihadi tracker, said on X (formerly Twitter) that U.S. intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft have already begun monitoring terrorist cells inside Nigeria. According to him, the aircraft “took off from Accra, Ghana” and flew over ISWAP strongholds in Borno, including the Krinwa axis near Lake Chad.
He also claimed, citing confidential sources—that the U.S. may be permitted to conduct UAV-based airstrikes on terrorist targets in Nigeria, with the Nigerian Air Force’s Kainji base under consideration as a launch site. These claims have not been independently verified.
Phillip’s disclosures drew swift criticism from former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad, who warned that revealing such details could compromise ongoing counter-terrorism operations.
The covert activities follow high-level security talks in Washington on November 20 between U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The discussions focused on eliminating West African jihadist networks and halting attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria.
The U.S. delegation emphasised the need for “urgent and enduring action” from Nigeria, while reaffirming America’s willingness to work closely with Nigerian security agencies.
As of press time, neither the Nigerian government nor U.S. authorities have issued any official statement confirming or denying the reported reconnaissance missions. The development comes on the heels of controversial remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently threatened direct military action against terrorist groups in Nigeria — a position that generated strong pushback from Abuja.
Despite ongoing joint efforts, Nigeria continues to battle daily incidents of kidnapping, banditry, and extremist violence, particularly across the North-East and North-West regions. The reported intelligence flights are believed to be part of a renewed multinational focus on dismantling long-entrenched terror networks.