At least three United States military aircraft reportedly landed at Nigerian military facilities between Thursday and Friday, delivering ammunition and logistics support to aid ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
Senior officers at the Defence Headquarters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the aircraft touched down at bases in Borno State and other parts of the region as part of ongoing security collaboration between Nigeria and the United States.
According to the officers, the delivery followed bilateral security engagements between both countries and was aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s operational capacity in the fight against insurgency.
“One of the outcomes of recent Nigeria–US security discussions is the provision of logistics support, including ammunition, to assist ongoing military operations against insurgents,” one of the sources said.
Another senior officer explained that the supply formed part of routine operational support, noting that ammunition replenishment was necessary after sustained combat operations.
He added that cooperation between both countries, coordinated through the Office of the National Security Adviser, was expected to result in further deployments of aircraft and personnel.
Reports by The New York Times indicated that US military aircraft landed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Thursday night, with at least three planes observed at the airbase by Friday evening while equipment was being offloaded.
A United States Department of Defense official was quoted as saying the flights represented the beginning of multiple C-17 transport missions expected to arrive at key locations across Nigeria in the coming weeks.
Security developments also gained attention on social media, where aviation trackers and security analysts reported sightings of US Air Force cargo aircraft arriving in Nigeria, including a C-130J-30 transport plane that reportedly landed at Kaduna International Airport after departing from Ghana.
The movement fuelled speculation that facilities in Kaduna could serve as training hubs for joint operations and capacity building.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Michael Onoja, had yet to respond to inquiries on the development as of the time of filing this report.
The latest deployment comes amid expanding security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States.
In 2025, US President Donald Trump warned that American forces could be deployed if Nigeria failed to address attacks targeting Christians, after which Washington intensified security engagement with Abuja.
Earlier reports indicated that about 200 American intelligence analysts, advisers and trainers were expected to be deployed to support Nigeria’s armed forces in counter-terrorism operations, with the first batch already said to have arrived.
Reacting to the development, a retired officer of the Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps, Chris Andrew, said the presence of US personnel should not be interpreted as a combat mission, explaining that their role was largely technical and advisory.
“They are not combat troops. What the Americans are providing is expertise, particularly in advanced drone operations and precision air capabilities, which will improve operational effectiveness,” he said, adding that recent Nigerian air operations had shown improvement following cooperation with US partners.