The United States has restarted intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions over Nigeria, just days after carrying out airstrikes against Islamic State fighters in Sokoto State.
According to aviation data shared on Saturday by Brant Philip, a researcher who monitors extremist activity in the Sahel, a US-linked aircraft was observed conducting operations over Borno State in northeastern Nigeria.
The aircraft involved was identified as a Gulfstream V, a long-range jet frequently adapted for ISR purposes.
Flight records indicate that Saturday’s mission was focused on the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the Nigerian branch of ISIS that is most active in the northeast and around the Lake Chad region.
Philip said the surveillance flights resumed after a brief suspension following Thursday night’s strikes in Sokoto. Writing on X, he noted that the aircraft was again monitoring ISWAP positions in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State.
Tracking data shows that the US began these intelligence flights on November 24, with the aircraft departing from Ghana, which serves as a key logistics base for American military operations in Africa.
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Since then, the jet has reportedly flown missions over Nigeria almost every day.
The operator of the aircraft was traced to Tenax Aerospace, a company known for providing specialized aircraft for missions carried out in coordination with the US military.
When the ISR flights first began, a former US official said the operations were aimed at locating an American pilot kidnapped in neighboring Niger and collecting intelligence on armed groups active within Nigeria.
The renewed surveillance activity follows high-level talks between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington.
The meeting came amid warnings by President Donald Trump about possible US military action in the region.
After the talks, Hegseth said the Pentagon would work “aggressively” with Nigeria to address what he described as attacks by jihadist groups against Christian communities.
Thursday’s airstrikes marked the first direct action following those warnings, and President Trump later stated that additional strikes could be expected.
