A security analyst and Sahel terrorism researcher, Brant Philip, has claimed that the United States has begun intelligence operations inside Nigeria under a quiet security arrangement with the Nigerian government.
According to Philip, a U.S. manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft flew over ISWAP-controlled areas around Lake Chad in Borno State on Saturday. He said the aircraft departed from Accra, Ghana, and returned there after the mission. He later added that the same aircraft returned on Sunday for a third consecutive day, circling over ISWAP’s “Mantiqah Krinwa” stronghold.
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Earlier in the week, Philip had suggested that the U.S. was already carrying out reconnaissance flights in western Nigeria without any public announcement from Abuja, hinting that a classified agreement may have been signed. He also claimed, citing a private source, that the US may soon be permitted to conduct unmanned airstrikes against terrorist targets in Nigeria, potentially using the Kainji Air Base in Niger State.
His posts sparked criticism, with former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad urging him to stop sharing sensitive security information that could alert ISWAP.
The claims come against the backdrop of heightened tensions following Nigeria’s recent redesignation by U.S. President Donald Trump as a “Country of Particular Concern.” In response, Nigeria’s top security officials met with US defence leaders in Washington on November 20 to discuss terrorism and religious-related violence.
So far, neither the Nigerian government nor U.S. authorities have confirmed any operational deployment inside Nigeria. Meanwhile, Nigerians continue to face rising insecurity, including daily incidents of kidnapping, armed attacks, and terror-related violence across multiple states.
