At least three military aircraft from the United States landed in Nigeria between Thursday and Friday, delivering ammunition and other equipment to bolster the country’s fight against insurgency.
According to senior defense officials, the aircraft touched down at military installations in Borno State and other parts of the Northeast, where security forces have been battling insurgent groups.
Officials at the Defence Headquarters, who spoke anonymously, disclosed that the shipments formed part of ongoing security cooperation between Nigeria and the US government. The development was first reported by Punch.
One of the officers said the deliveries followed recent bilateral security discussions between Nigeria and the US, adding that Washington had pledged not only personnel support but also the provision of logistics, including ammunition, to strengthen operations against insurgents.
“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,” the officer said.
Another senior officer described the delivery as routine operational support, noting that ammunition expended during military operations must be replenished regularly.
“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,” the officer stated. “We go for operations and use different calibers of ammunition, which need to be replaced.”
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that US military aircraft arrived in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, on Thursday night. By Friday evening, three planes were reportedly stationed at the airbase, with equipment being offloaded from at least one of them.
A spokesperson for the United States Department of Defense told the newspaper that the flights marked the beginning of a series of C-17 transport missions expected to arrive at three key locations across Nigeria.
Additionally, a social media user, Brant Philip, who identified himself as a tracker on X, claimed that the Maiduguri Airbase had received a significant consignment of equipment.
