US Military Aircraft Drop Ammo in Borno Amid Rising Insecurity in Nigeria

United States military aircraft have delivered ammunition to military bases in Borno State and other parts of northeastern Nigeria amid renewed security concerns.

The flights, which arrived between Thursday and Friday, were part of a security support mission agreed upon during recent bilateral engagements between Nigeria and the United States.

According to Punch, Senior officers at the Defence Headquarters confirmed that the aircraft transported ammunition meant for ongoing counter-insurgency operations.

They explained that the supplies were provided to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against armed groups operating in the region.

One senior officer said the deliveries followed security discussions between both countries.

According to him, the United States is expected to support Nigeria with logistics and manpower where necessary.

“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.”

Another high-ranking officer described the shipment as routine operational support. He noted that the military regularly requires fresh supplies after combat missions.

“I know that recently US aircraft came to supply ammunition for our platforms, and that wasn’t the first time. So, what you are saying may be true, though I have not been officially briefed.

“We go for operations and use different calibres of ammunition, which need to be replaced.

“The US and the Nigerian government, under the coordination of the NSA, are working together to end insecurity in the country. So, we should expect more deployments of aircraft and troops.”

Reports indicated that at least one of the aircraft landed in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, where equipment was offloaded at the airbase.

A report by The New York Times stated that three aircraft were sighted at the Maiduguri military base, with heavy cargo being unloaded from one of them.

The report also quoted a US Department of Defense official as saying:

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

Meanwhile, security trackers on social media reported that a US Air Force transport aircraft also landed at Kaduna International Airport after departing from Ghana.

One post suggested that the Kaduna military depot could be used as a training centre for American personnel working with Nigerian forces.

“A US Air Force military transport aircraft C30J has landed at Kaduna International Airport after departing from Ghana earlier this (Friday) evening. The movement is fuelling speculation that US personnel may utilise the Kaduna Depot as a potential training hub in collaboration with the Nigerian military. This signals a potential deepening of US–Nigeria security engagement amid ongoing regional security challenges.”

Another tracker reported a large movement of military equipment into Maiduguri.

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

As of the time of filing this report, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, had not issued an official statement on the development.

The new aircraft arrivals come months after US President Donald Trump warned in 2025 that American forces could be sent to Nigeria if attacks on Christians were not stopped.

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

Security cooperation between both countries has since increased.

Earlier reports indicated that about 200 US military officers would be deployed to Nigeria. The New York Times later disclosed that the first batch of intelligence analysts, advisers, and trainers had already arrived to support targeted counterterrorism operations.

Moreover, additional aircraft carrying personnel and equipment are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.