The United States has carried out intelligence-gathering surveillance flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November, according to flight tracking data and interviews with current and former US officials cited by Reuters.

The activity points to expanding security cooperation between Washington and Abuja at a time of heightened diplomatic strain linked to ongoing violence across Nigeria.

The precise mission objectives could not be independently confirmed. The flights followed public remarks by US President Donald Trump in November, when he warned of possible military action over continued attacks on Christian communities.

Reuters reported that the surveillance effort also comes months after a US pilot working with a missionary organization was abducted in neighboring Niger, a case that sharpened US security concerns across the region.

Flights traced to Ghana base

Flight tracking data from December show that the contractor-operated aircraft typically departs from Ghana, crosses Nigerian airspace, and returns to Accra.

The plane is operated by Mississippi-based Tenax Aerospace, a company that provides special mission aircraft and works closely with the US military, according to its website. Tenax did not respond to requests for comment.

Liam Karr, Africa team lead at the American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project, reviewed the flight data and said the operation appears to be coordinated from Accra.

The city has long served as a logistics hub for US military operations in West Africa.

“In recent weeks we’ve seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr told Reuters, pointing to renewed US efforts to monitor security threats in the region.

Regional shifts reshape US posture

Karr said the flights suggest Washington is rebuilding intelligence capacity after Niger ordered US forces to leave a major air base last year and instead sought security cooperation with Russia.

A former US official told Reuters that surveillance aircraft were moved to Ghana in November.

The official said the missions include intelligence collection on militant groups operating in Nigeria, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, as well as efforts tied to locating the kidnapped US pilot.

A current US official confirmed that the aircraft has flown over Nigeria but declined to provide details, citing diplomatic sensitivities.

Another administration official said Washington continues to work with Nigerian authorities to address religious violence and the spread of terrorism. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity.

Nigeria pushes back on persecution claims

The Pentagon confirmed that US and Nigerian officials have held what it described as productive meetings following Trump’s statements but declined to discuss intelligence activities. Nigeria’s military did not respond to requests for comment.

Nigeria’s government has argued that armed groups target both Muslims and Christians, saying US claims of Christian persecution oversimplify a complex security crisis.

Despite those differences, Abuja has agreed to deepen cooperation with Washington to strengthen its response to militant threats.

Flight records show the Tenax-operated aircraft was seen at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida on Nov. 7 before flying to Ghana later that month.

The modified Gulfstream jet has flown over Nigeria almost daily since the surveillance operation began.