REPORT: US Surveils Islamic Terrorists In Nigeria Following Trump’s Calls To Stop Christian Persecution

The U.S. has been conducting intelligence-gathering operations in Nigeria since late November, following Trump’s calls to investigate Christian persecution and prepare for possible intervention in the region, according to a Monday report.

The targeted information is unknown, according to Reuters, which cited flight tracking data and current and former U.S. officials.

December flight data showed a U.S. contractor, Mississippi-based Tenax Aerospace, operating aircraft that took off from Ghana before surveilling Nigeria, according to Reuters.

Liam Karr, the Africa team lead for the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, analyzed the flight data. Karr claimed the operation seemed to be running out of an airport in Accra, a primary hub for the U.S. military’s logistics network in Africa, according to the report.

Live Photo: Tenax Aerospace GLF5 ISR platform N529RL A6ABDF is back to base in Accra, Ghana, after operating out of Kaduna, Nigeria, 23hrs ago. pic.twitter.com/wAcLWvK1bx

— Alhaji Gbangbanku (@EliasuAlhaji) December 14, 2025

“In recent weeks we’ve seen a resumption of intelligence and surveillance flights in Nigeria,” Karr told Reuters.

He said the operation may be an early sign the United States is rebuilding its capacity in the area after Niger replaced the U.S. troops manning its newly constructed air base with Russian counterparts in 2024.

A former U.S. official told Reuters the aircraft is one of many assets that was moved to Ghana in November. He added that the team’s missions include tracking down a U.S. pilot who was kidnapped in Niger while working with a missionary agency, along with gathering information on terrorist organizations in Nigeria. (RELATED: Islamic Extremists Prepare To Slaughter Hundreds On Christmas, Local Intel Warns)

A Gulfstream V aircraft (registration N529RL), used by the U.S. military for intelligence gathering and surveillance, has been active, flying missions from Accra, Ghana, primarily over the Nigeria-Chad border region. The aircraft is reportedly operated by Tenax Aerospace on… https://t.co/61Z9IoPvre pic.twitter.com/CW2OTsH8Vx

— THE TROJAN BEAST (@THETROJANBEAST) December 6, 2025

A current U.S. official confirmed the aircraft has been flying over Nigeria but declined to comment with further information, citing diplomatic sensitivity, according to Reuters.

The Trump administration is working with Nigeria to “address religious violence, anti-Christian attacks, and the destabilizing spread of terrorism,” another official told the outlet.

President Donald Trump’s rhetoric has matched the timeline of reported actions.

By the end of October, Trump had called on Congress to investigate Nigeria, and he designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern, pointing to the thousands of Christians slaughtered by Islamic terrorists in the region.

Trump threatened Nigeria’s government in November, warning that if the country did not sufficiently step in to stop the bloodshed, the U.S “may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”

He then instructed the “Department of War to prepare for possible action.”

The White House and the Department of War have not responded to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.