Senior Nigerian military officials have dismissed reports that United States aircraft recently delivered weapons and equipment to Borno and Kaduna states to support operations against terrorism and insecurity.
The claims, which circulated widely on social media last week, cited a report allegedly published by The New York Times suggesting that three US military planes landed in Nigeria between Thursday and Friday, with at least one offloading ammunition and other military equipment in Maiduguri, Borno State.
“These initial flights are the vanguard of what will be a stream of C-17 transport flights into three main locations across Nigeria,” a US Department of Defense official was quoted as saying in the circulated reports.
However, senior sources at Defence Headquarters and the Army have said they were unaware of any such deliveries. A source at the Army headquarters confirmed that no US aircraft landed in Kaduna or elsewhere last week.
From the theatre commands, another source described the social media reports of arms being dropped in Borno as “fake and baseless.” An airport official at Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the aircraft that landed last Friday was a Max Air flight carrying Nigerian troops, not US planes.
The military also highlighted that, under ongoing bilateral agreements, Nigeria has received pledges for support from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and France. This includes intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and other combat enablers, separate from existing partnerships that have been ongoing for months.
The clarification comes amid heightened collaboration between Nigeria and the US on security matters. American forces reportedly launched operations against Islamic State camps in Sokoto State on Christmas Day 2025, according to earlier reports.
Nigerian military operations in the northeast have intensified in recent months, with troops conducting sustained campaigns against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgents. The military has previously acknowledged receiving support from international partners in the form of training, intelligence sharing, and technical assistance.
The United States has maintained security cooperation with Nigeria for several years, primarily focused on counterterrorism efforts in the Lake Chad Basin region. This cooperation has included the provision of equipment, intelligence support, and training for Nigerian forces engaged in operations against insurgent groups.
However, military officials emphasised that reports of US planes dropping arms in Borno and Kaduna last week are inaccurate. They reaffirmed that efforts to combat terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria continue under coordinated strategies with international partners, but stressed the importance of verifying information before circulation.
