Photo Credit: The Punch
2025-12-23 09:00:00
A Reuters dispatch referenced by The Punch says the U.S. has been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria since late November 2025, signalling deeper intelligence cooperation amid worsening security fears.
The report says the flights are linked to reconnaissance priorities—tracking extremist networks and gathering actionable intelligence—while also reflecting Washington’s broader posture toward countries it deems failing on security outcomes.
For Nigeria, the optics are sensitive: foreign surveillance can help operations, but it also exposes how international partners perceive Abuja’s capacity to contain violence.
The development lands alongside fresh diplomatic pressure—from religious-violence narratives to travel restrictions—raising the stakes for Nigeria’s security messaging and results on the ground.
Validation: Reuters wrote that “the U.S. has been conducting surveillance flights over Nigeria” since late November. Guardian Nigeria echoed that “The United States has been carrying out intelligence-gathering flights over large parts of Nigeria since late November.”
Echotitbits take: Intelligence support is useful, but Nigeria still needs domestic coordination: clearer command structure, rapid response, and accountability. Watch whether this becomes a joint-task-force outcome—or just headlines without measurable security improvements.
Source: The Punch — December 23, 2025 (https://punchng.com/killings-us-conducts-surveillance-flights-over-nigeria-report/)
The Punch 2025-12-23
