The information these flights are intended to gather could not be determined, but they come after threats by US President Donald Trump in November to intervene militarily in Nigeria, claiming its failure to stop violence against Christian communities. These flights also come just months after the kidnapping of an American pilot working for a missionary agency in neighboring Niger. Flight tracking data and testimonies from current and former US officials showed that the United States has been conducting flights to gather intelligence over large parts of Nigeria since late November, indicating an increase in bilateral security cooperation between the two countries.
