The US Air Force has reportedly resumed Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions in Nigeria.
According to Brant Philip, a security expert for West and East Africa, the US Air Force ISR mission is targeting ISWAP zones of influence in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, on the fringes of Lake Chad.
The security expert disclosed that US aircraft took off from Accra, Ghana “as usual, still not using a Nigerian airport.”
Earlier in the day, he had stated: “For the first time in twelve consecutive days of daily ISR flights by the US Air Force over Nigeria from Accra, Ghana, today the aircraft did not take off.
“In twelve days the USAF aircraft covered the states of Borno, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Kwara, Niger and small parts of Ekiti and Kaduna, a large majority of these missions targeted ISWAP and IS-Sahel strongholds.
“This coincides with the visit by Rep. Riley Moore to Nigeria where he announced incoming “next steps”.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate has approved the request by President Bola Tinubu to deploy the country’s military forces to Benin Republic
Naija News reports that the decision of the lawmakers was approved during plenary on Tuesday by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The approval follows the earlier consideration of the request by the Senate Committee of the Whole, in which the lawmakers unanimously backed the decision of the federal government to deploy troops to the Benin Republic to restore peace and stability following last weekend’s attempted coup in the West African nation.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced this on Tuesday during plenary after lawmakers considered the request in the Committee of the Whole in line with section 5, Part 11.
“An injury to one is an injury to all,” Akpabio declared while announcing the decision of the Senate.
The Senate’s consent letter will be transmitted to President Tinubu immediately.
