Three US military aircraft land in Nigeria

Three United States military aircraft have landed at a Nigerian Air Force base in Maiduguri, Borno, amid reports of a possible US-backed offensive against the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Nigeria’s northeast.

Security analyst Brant Philip disclosed on Saturday via X that six US Air Force cargo planes arrived in West Africa between February 6 and 14, 2026. According to him, all six aircraft initially stopped in Accra, Ghana, before five proceeded to Nigerian Air Force bases.

Philip stated that of the five aircraft that entered Nigeria, one C-17A landed at Kainji Airbase, while one C-130J-30 and three C-17A aircraft touched down at Maiduguri Airbase in Borno.

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“Between February 6 and 14, six US Air Force cargo planes landed in West Africa, all of them stopping in Accra, Ghana first,” he wrote.

“Five of them landed later on in Nigerian Air Force bases, while the sixth aircraft only arrived today and will likely follow the route towards the northeast as well.

– 1x C-17A to Kainji Airbase
– 1x C-130J-30 to Maiduguri Airbase, Borno
– 3x C-17A to Maiduguri Airbase, Borno

“All of them left the respective bases on the same day they landed.”

The Maiduguri Airbase is considered a key operational hub for coordinated military efforts in the fight against ISWAP, which maintains a presence in several rural communities across Borno State.

Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported on February 10 that American and Nigerian officials had disclosed plans for the United States to deploy about 200 troops to Nigeria as part of enhanced security cooperation.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian military nor US authorities have issued official statements regarding the aircraft movements or any planned troop deployment.