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US Spy Plane Conducts Reconnaissance Over Borno To Monitor ISWAP Under Nigeria Military Deal, Expert Says

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Asecurity expert, tracker, and a jihadi expert with special focus on the Sahel, Brant Philip, has claimed that the United States has begun conducting operations inside Nigeria as part of an agreement with the Nigerian government aimed at tackling escalating terrorism.

He stated on Saturday that a United States aircraft carried out an operation in Borno State, noting that the aircraft took off from Accra, Ghana.

“Confirming my earlier reports, a manned US ISR aircraft was conducting reconnaissance earlier today over ISWAP territory in southwestern Lake Chad, Borno State, northeast Nigeria, it originally took off from Accra, Ghana and is currently on its way back,” he wrote on X.

Earlier on Thursday, Brant had stated, “The US Department of War is already conducting reconnaissance operations in western Nigeria from their base in Ghana, without (any public) permission announced by the Nigerian government, possible agreements being signed behind closed doors.”

He further added, “According to a private source familiar with the military deal between the US and Nigeria, the US will be allowed to conduct UAV airstrikes against terrorist targets inside Nigeria, the scope only include unmanned aircrafts (UAVs), not fighter jets or bombers.

“The American counterpart will mainly fill the ISR gaps of the Nigerian army with manned and/or unmanned aircrafts, and will likely (still unconfirmed) use the Kainji Air Base in Niger State as a launchpad.”

On Sunday afternoon, he wrote again that the United States ISR aircraft had returned to spy over ISWAP’s Mantiqah Krinwa.

“The US Air Force ISR aircraft returned for the third day in a row to spy over ISWAP’s “Mantiqah Krinwa” in Borno state on the fringes of Lake Chad, northeast Nigeria, the aircraft is currently circling over the area and took off from Accra, Ghana, as usual,” he said.

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Reacting to his posts, former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad condemned the disclosures and accused Brant of revealing sensitive information to ISWAP.

“Stop exposing this vital information to ISWAP please,” he wrote on Saturday.

Following the designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” by Donald Trump over alleged genocide against Christians, the Nigerian government rejected the label and subsequently sent a delegation to the US.

In a publication on its war website, the United States provided details of the meeting.

The statement was issued by the Assistant to the Secretary of War for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor, Sean Parnell.

“On Nov. 20, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth welcomed a delegation of security leaders from the Federal Republic of Nigeria led by their National Security Advisor, Mr. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to the Pentagon,” the statement said.

“Both leaders discussed ways to make tangible progress on stopping violence against Christians in Nigeria and combatting West African jihadist terrorist groups.”

“Secretary Hegseth emphasized the need for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment and take both urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians and conveyed the Department’s desire to work by, with, and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States,” it added.

Members of the Nigerian delegation included Mr. Ribadu; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lt. Gen. E.A.P. Undiendeye; Special Adviser to the NSA, Idayat Hassan; Director of Foreign Relations, ONSA, Ibrahim Babani; Acting Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Nigeria, Nuru Biu; and the head of the Political and Economic Section, Embassy of Nigeria, Paul Alabi.

See also  Alleged Christian Genocide: US Congress split over Nigeria’s CPC designation

Before the meeting, the US President had threatened to carry out a military operation in Nigeria to wipe out those he described as “Islamic terrorists”.

As of the time of this report, aside from Brant’s posts, neither the Nigerian government nor the United States had issued any official statement confirming a US military operation on Nigerian soil.

Trump’s threat of military action has been widely rejected by the Nigerian Presidency and has sparked controversy across the country.

Kidnapping for ransom, killings, and banditry continue to occur daily, leaving Nigerians to grapple with the widespread insecurity.

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Doris Ogala Reportedly Arrested After Calling Out Pastor Chris Okafor

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Nollywood actress, Doris Ogala, has been reportedly arrested following a heated online dispute linked to her recent allegations against a Lagos-based pastor, Chris Okafor.

It was reports that the arrest occurred on Saturday, December 20, 2025, during a live video session in which Ogala was speaking with an online personality.

While the livestream was ongoing, she confirmed that police officers were present inside her home.

She was also heard scolding a woman identified as Charity for allowing people into the house despite earlier warnings.

The interviewer advised her to keep her phone active and asked whether the officers had a warrant.

Shortly after the incident, comedian and former Big Brother Naija housemate Dee One announced on Instagram that Ogala had been arrested.

He stated that he had earlier cautioned the actress and added that she would now have to answer questions in court over the matter.

The situation followed a social media post by Ogala, in which she shared an image allegedly showing the cleric in a private setting.

In the post, she accused him of deceit and claimed she had video evidence to back her claims.

The controversy gained more attention after the pastor recently married a woman identified as Pearl earlier in the week.

The wedding reportedly went ahead despite Ogala’s online accusations, which included claims of betrayal, emotional manipulation and a broken promise of marriage after what she described as a long-term relationship.

Over the past few days, Ogala had shared emotional videos online in which she accused the cleric of damaging her life.

See also  Alleged Christian Genocide: US Congress split over Nigeria’s CPC designation

She claimed the relationship began around 2017 and alleged that she ended her previous marriage at his request, only to be left distressed after the relationship suddenly ended.

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Bandits Do Not Represent Any Religion, They Are Common Criminals – Tambuwal

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Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, has stated that terrorists in the country do not represent any religious group.

Addressing newsmen on Saturday in Sokoto, he stated that bandits are common criminals who merely seek available targets to attack.

He warned political leaders and the international community against politicising the country’s worsening insecurity.

Tambuwal described the recent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by United States President Donald Trump as quite unfortunate.

He insisted that the designation does not reflect the true nature and complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges.

“I would like to believe that President Trump and the American government did not fully grasp or appreciate the Nigerian situation. What we are facing is not a religious crisis but a security crisis affecting Nigerians of all faiths and backgrounds.

“These marauders do not represent any religion. How else can one explain what they are doing in Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and other states? They are common criminals, attacking every soul they come across.

“You can’t even go to the mosque or the church safely. So this is not about a particular section of the country or a particular religion. It is about Nigeria,” he said.

The former governor aligned himself with the Vatican’s position on Nigeria, noting that the Pope had rightly acknowledged that Nigerians, Christians and Muslims alike, are victims of widespread insecurity.

He emphasised that insecurity has become a national issue that transcends politics, ethnicity, and religion, insisting that collective action is urgently needed.

See also  Alleged Christian Genocide: US Congress split over Nigeria’s CPC designation

He called on the United States and other global partners to reconsider their stance and instead support the administration of President Bola Tinubu in addressing the crisis.

“It’s not about Bola Tinubu as a person. It’s not about APC or party politics. It’s about our country. Any country, America, France, the UK, Canada, that can support Nigeria to overcome insecurity should please do so,” the former governor added.

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Alleged Alterations: No Amount Of Opposition Pushback Will Stop Implementation Of Tax Law – Presidency

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The presidency said no amount of opposition pushback would stop the implementation of the laws in January, while dismissing claims that it secretly altered some provisions of the newly enacted tax reform laws.

It was reports that the tax reform laws, which faced stiff opposition from federal lawmakers from the northern part of the country before their passage, are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.

President Bola Tinubu signed the four tax reform bills into law, marking what the government has described as the most significant overhaul of the country’s tax system in decades.

According to the Federal Government, the reforms are designed to simplify tax compliance, expand the tax base, eliminate overlapping taxes, and modernise revenue collection across federal, state, and local governments.

However, the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and several civil society organisations have called for the suspension of the implementation of the laws.

The call follows alleged discrepancies between the tax laws passed by the National Assembly and the versions gazetted and released to the public, raised by a member of the House of Representatives, Abdussamad Dasuki.

Dasuki, who made the allegations during plenary, insisted that the content of the gazetted tax laws did not reflect what members debated, voted on, and passed, warning that, if not addressed, the alleged alterations could render the new tax laws legally vulnerable because they lacked legislative approval.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker further urged the speaker to ensure that all relevant documents, including the harmonised versions, votes, and proceedings of both chambers, were brought before the Committee of the Whole for scrutiny by all members.

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In response to the opposition outrage, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, in an interview with Punch, insisted that there was no evidence that the laws had been altered.

While describing the criticisms as opposition noise, aimed at creating controversy around government policy, Ajayi argued that allegations that the tax documents were altered had not been established by any constituted authority.

According to him, the tax laws were enacted through due process and would take full effect from January 1, 2026, with relevant government agencies already mobilised to ensure smooth implementation.

He stressed that the implementation committee had been working for the past six months and would not be distracted by what he described as attempts to undermine the policy.

He said, “Opposition elements can say whatever they want, even when it is very obvious to every rational person that all they seek to do every time is to pollute the waters and create a toxic environment around policy issues.”

Ajayi noted that the House of Representatives had already established a committee to examine the allegations, led by the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, James Faleke.

According to him, the appropriate course of action is to allow the committee to carry out its assignment and present its findings.

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