A security expert, tracker, and a jihadi expert with special focus on the Sahel, Brant Philip, has claimed that the United States has begun conducting operations inside Nigeria as part of an agreement with the Nigerian government aimed at tackling escalating terrorism.
He stated on Saturday that a United States aircraft carried out an operation in Borno State, noting that the aircraft took off from Accra, Ghana.
“Confirming my earlier reports, a manned US ISR aircraft was conducting reconnaissance earlier today over ISWAP territory in southwestern Lake Chad, Borno State, northeast Nigeria, it originally took off from Accra, Ghana and is currently on its way back,” he wrote on X.
Earlier on Thursday, Brant had stated, “The US Department of War is already conducting reconnaissance operations in western Nigeria from their base in Ghana, without (any public) permission announced by the Nigerian government, possible agreements being signed behind closed doors.”
He further added, “According to a private source familiar with the military deal between the US and Nigeria, the US will be allowed to conduct UAV airstrikes against terrorist targets inside Nigeria, the scope only include unmanned aircrafts (UAVs), not fighter jets or bombers.
“The American counterpart will mainly fill the ISR gaps of the Nigerian army with manned and/or unmanned aircrafts, and will likely (still unconfirmed) use the Kainji Air Base in Niger State as a launchpad.”
On Sunday afternoon, he wrote again that the United States ISR aircraft had returned to spy over ISWAP’s Mantiqah Krinwa.
“The US Air Force ISR aircraft returned for the third day in a row to spy over ISWAP’s “Mantiqah Krinwa” in Borno state on the fringes of Lake Chad, northeast Nigeria, the aircraft is currently circling over the area and took off from Accra, Ghana, as usual,” he said.
Reacting to his posts, former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad condemned the disclosures and accused Brant of revealing sensitive information to ISWAP.
“Stop exposing this vital information to ISWAP please,” he wrote on Saturday.
Background
Following the designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” by Donald Trump over alleged genocide against Christians, the Nigerian government rejected the label and subsequently sent a delegation to the US.
In a publication on its war website, the United States provided details of the meeting.
The statement was issued by the Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor, Sean Parnell.
“On Nov. 20, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth welcomed a delegation of security leaders from the Federal Republic of Nigeria led by their National Security Advisor, Mr. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to the Pentagon,” the statement said.
“Both leaders discussed ways to make tangible progress on stopping violence against Christians in Nigeria and combatting West African jihadist terrorist groups.”
“Secretary Hegseth emphasized the need for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment and take both urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians and conveyed the Department’s desire to work by, with, and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States,” it added.
Members of the Nigerian delegation included Mr. Ribadu; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. E.A.P. Undiendeye; Special Adviser to the NSA, Idayat Hassan; Director of Foreign Relations, ONSA, Ibrahim Babani; Acting Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Nigeria, Nuru Biu; and the head of the Political and Economic Section, Embassy of Nigeria, Paul Alabi.
Before the meeting, the US President had threatened to carry out a military operation in Nigeria to wipe out those he described as “Islamic terrorists”.
As of the time of this report, aside from Brant’s posts, neither the Nigerian government nor the United States had issued any official statement confirming a US military operation on Nigerian soil.
Trump’s threat of military action has been widely rejected by the Nigerian Presidency and has sparked controversy across the country.
Kidnapping for ransom, killings, and banditry continue to occur daily, leaving Nigerians to grapple with the widespread insecurity.
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