United States military aircraft have begun landing in Maiduguri, signalling the start of a new phase of security cooperation between the United States and Nigeria.
A US military plane touched down Thursday night in the Borno State capital, with additional aircraft expected over the weekend as part of a phased deployment of about 200 American personnel.
Officials said the aircraft are mainly Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport planes carrying intelligence analysts, advisers, trainers and equipment.
By Friday evening, multiple aircraft were visible at the base, with equipment being offloaded.
According to a United States Department of Defense official quoted by The New York Times, the Maiduguri flights are the first in a series of C-17 operations planned for three key locations across Nigeria in the coming weeks.
Because several deployment areas have limited infrastructure, early arrivals are expected to focus on establishing secure communications systems, base facilities and operational support structures alongside Nigerian counterparts.
Nigeria’s defence spokesman, Samaila Uba, stressed that the personnel will not participate in combat operations.
“These personnel do not serve in a combat capacity and will not assume a direct operational role. Nigerian forces retain full command authority and will lead all missions on Nigerian sovereign territory,” he said.
He added that the deployment followed recommendations of a joint US–Nigeria working group and is strictly focused on advisory and technical assistance.
Background to the airlift
The arrivals follow heightened US military air activity in West Africa between February 6 and 14. Flight tracking data indicates several cargo aircraft landed first in Accra before proceeding to Nigerian bases, including the Nigerian Air Force facilities.
Open-source tracking reports indicated:
One C-17A landed at Kainji Airbase
One C-130J-30 landed at Maiduguri Airbase
Three C-17A aircraft landed at Maiduguri
All reportedly departed the same day.
Security analysts suggest Maiduguri could serve as the primary base supporting Nigerian operations against Islamic State West Africa Province, which remains active in rural parts of Borno State.
US officials say the steady flow of aircraft will continue in the coming weeks as part of a temporary mission to strengthen intelligence sharing, planning and targeted counterterrorism support
