At least three U.S military planes have reportedly airdropped ammunition in Borno State to bolster the Nigerian military’s ongoing fight against insurgent groups.
Reports emerging on Sunday revealed that the U.S military planes completed the delivery of the ammunition in Borno State between Thursday and Friday.
This comes amid the revitalized defense partnership between Washington and Abuja as they target Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram strongholds.
The operation involved a series of C-17 transport aircraft touching down at strategic military bases within the North-East.
According to senior defense officials, the cargo consisted of high-caliber ammunition and tactical supplies intended to “restore operational readiness” for Nigerian ground forces.
Reports confirm that three U.S military planes airdropped ammunition in Borno as part of a broader “vanguard” mission that also includes the deployment of 200 American personnel for training and intelligence advisory roles.
“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,” an officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
Another high-ranking officer explained that the delivery was part of operational logistics, noting that the military often requires replenishment of ammunition after operations.
“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,” he added.
Similarly, an X account @mobilisingniger, operated by a user who claimed to be a counter-terrorism expert, also disclosed on Friday that a U.S Air Force military transport aircraft C30J landed at the Kaduna International Airport after departing from Ghana.
It suggested that the Kaduna Depot might serve as a potential training hub for US personnel deployed to train the Nigerian military.
“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,” the post read.
Another user, Brant Philip, who claimed to be a tracker on X, said there had been a “massive delivery of equipment” to the Maiduguri Airbase, Borno State.
“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,” he wrote.
