War on Insecurity: US Military Aircraft Drops Ammo in Borno State After Boko Haram Attacks
- United States military aircraft delivered ammunition to Nigerian bases in Borno and Kaduna between Thursday and Friday, signalling deeper security cooperation
- Senior defence officers confirmed the supplies were part of Washington’s support for Nigeria’s fight against insurgency
- The New York Times and social media trackers reported multiple US planes landing in Maiduguri and Kaduna, with equipment offloaded and speculation of training hubs emerging
Findings revealed that no fewer than three United States military aircraft landed in Nigeria between Thursday and Friday.
According to PUNCH, the planes reportedly touched down at military bases in Borno and other northeastern states. Senior officers at the Defence Headquarters confirmed that the aircraft carried ammunition supplied by the American government.
Source: Getty Images
Officials explained that the move formed part of Washington’s intervention to support Nigeria in tackling insecurity. One officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said:
“Following Nigeria-US bilateral talks on security, the American government will not only deploy soldiers but also provide necessary logistics, including ammunition, to fight the insurgents.”
US ammunition supply and operational logistics
Another senior officer noted that the delivery was part of operational logistics, stressing that the Nigerian military often required replenishment of ammunition after operations. He remarked:
“I know that recently US aircraft came to supply ammunition for our platforms, and that wasn’t the first time. So, what you are saying may be true, though I have not been officially briefed.”
He added that the cooperation was coordinated under Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, with expectations of more deployments of aircraft and troops in the coming weeks.
Reports from Maiduguri and Kaduna
The New York Times reported that US military aircraft landed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Thursday night. By Friday evening, three planes were seen at the base, with equipment being offloaded. A US Department of Defense official told the newspaper:
“These initial flights are the vanguard of what will be a stream of C-17 transport flights into three main locations across Nigeria.”
On social media, an X account, @mobilisingniger, claimed that a US Air Force C30J transport aircraft landed at Kaduna International Airport after departing from Ghana. The post suggested that the Kaduna Depot might serve as a training hub for US personnel working with the Nigerian military.
Another user, Brant Philip, described a “massive delivery of equipment” to Maiduguri Airbase, noting that a US Air Force C-130J-30 cargo aircraft had flown to northeast Nigeria from Accra, Ghana.
As of the time of filing this report, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, had not responded to inquiries regarding the matter.
Source: Getty Images
US deployment of military officers
The development followed earlier reports that 200 US officers would be deployed in Nigeria. The New York Times stated that the first wave of personnel had already arrived, marking the beginning of a deployment of American intelligence analysts, advisers and trainers. Their mission was to assist Nigeria’s armed forces in targeted counterterrorism operations, partly aimed at protecting Nigerian Christians.
The newspaper further disclosed that several additional aircraft carrying troops and equipment were expected to land over the weekend, with the flow continuing in the coming weeks.
Nigerians on 2026 US sanction list whose assets were frozen
Legit.ng earlier reported that the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released a publication running over 3,000 pages, detailing individuals and entities designated under its sanctions programmes.
The document served as a reference tool, providing notice of actions taken against Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) whose property and interests were blocked.
Among those named were several Nigerians whose assets had been frozen.
Source: Legit.ng
