US Resumes Surveillance Over Sambisa Forest After Sokoto Air Strikes

The United States has resumed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) flights) over the Sambisa Forest in Borno State, days after carrying out air strikes against suspected Islamic State targets in Sokoto State. Flight-tracking data shared by Sahel terrorism analyst Brant Philip showed a modified Gulfstream V surveillance aircraft flying daily over the north-east region—focusing on Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) activity in the forest and Lake Chad basin, which remains a key stronghold for insurgent groups.

According to the tracking information, the renewed surveillance came after a one-day pause that followed the Sokoto air strikes launched late on December 26, 2025, against suspected extremist enclaves in the Bauni forest axis of Tangaza Local Government Area. The aircraft, linked to a US contractor often used for military ISR missions, has flown these operations almost daily since they began in late November, departing from Ghana—a strategic logistics hub for US military activities in West Africa.

Neither US nor Nigerian authorities have issued an official statement on the current flights, but the timing suggests ongoing counterterrorism cooperation between the two countries, especially in tracking militant movements after the recent air strikes. These operations are widely interpreted as part of broader efforts to gather real-time intelligence on extremist networks that still pose security challenges across Nigeria’s conflict-affected regions.

What do you think about foreign surveillance and military cooperation in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and insurgency? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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