A United States Air Force intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft is currently conducting operations over Babana, a strategic border crossing between Nigeria and the Benin Republic known for militant smuggling activity.
Babana has long served as a key transit route for armed groups, particularly Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), who exploit the porous border to smuggle weapons and supplies.
Security expert, Brant Philip, confirmed the ongoing surveillance in a post on 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, noting that Babana remains a hotspot of interest due to its proximity to Basso in Benin, which was recently targeted by armed militants.
The Nigerian Army had previously clashed with unidentified gunmen along the same axis in August, underlining the security volatility of the corridor.
Basso, just a few kilometres from Babana, came under attack in recent months, although the assault was mostly repelled. No group has formally claimed responsibility for the incident.
Both locations sit on the same smuggling route that security agencies say has increasingly become a corridor for cross-border arms trafficking.
In other news, operatives of the Benue Police Command have successfully repelled an armed bandits’ attack targeting vehicles along Adoka Road, rescuing passengers who were stranded by the assailants.
According to Zagazola Makama, sources disclosed that at about 00:30 hours on Wednesday, armed bandits attacked vehicles with passengers along the route. The DPO promptly mobilised patrol teams alongside tactical units within the area to intercept the assailants.
Upon arrival, officers engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle, forcing them to flee into the bush and abandon the victims.
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