US military aircraft lands Nigeria with ammunition, soldiers amid security collaboration

At least three United States military aircraft reportedly landed in Nigeria between Thursday and Friday as part of ongoing security collaboration.

The planes touched down at military bases in Borno and other North-East states, carrying ammunition supplied by the US government to support Nigeria’s counter-insurgency operations.

According to a report obtained by Punch, senior officers at the Defence Headquarters explained:

“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.”

According to a New York Times report, the aircraft arrived in Maiduguri, Borno State, on Thursday night.

By Friday evening, three planes were reportedly at the base, with equipment being offloaded from one of them. A US Department of Defence official said:

“These initial flights are the vanguard of what will be a stream of C-17 transport flights into three main locations across Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, a post on 𝕏 by counterterrorism reporter [@mobilisingniger] suggested that a US Air Force C-30J transport aircraft landed at Kaduna International Airport after departing Ghana.

The post hinted the Kaduna depot could serve as a training hub for US personnel working with the Nigerian military.

Another 𝕏 user, Brant Philip, who tracks military movements, claimed:

“The US Air Force C-130J-30 cargo aircraft flew to northeast Nigeria today from Accra, Ghana, following the same route as the two previous C-17A; a massive delivery of equipment seems to be ongoing.”

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, had not yet responded to inquiries as of filing this report.

Recall that in 2025, then-US President Donald Trump had threatened to send military forces to Nigeria if the government failed to halt what he described as genocide against Christians.

Following Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern, the US carried out an airstrike on Islamic State fighters in Sokoto State on Christmas Day.

Earlier reports suggested that about 200 US officers would be deployed to Nigeria, with the first batch already arriving in the country.

As US–Nigeria security collaboration intensifies, it signals a deeper commitment to fighting insurgency and stabilising the region.