Villagers in Ghana Seize U.S. King Air B200 Reconnaissance Aircraft

Residents of a village in Ghana seized a U.S. King Air B200 aircraft that was allegedly used by the United States for covert missions in Nigeria.

Columnist Alhaji Gbangbanku reported the incident on his X account.

According to the report, the aircraft, bearing tail number 60171, was seized near the town of Paga, close to the border with Burkina Faso.

Available information indicates the aircraft has been operated by the U.S. military since at least October and had been flying in the area for three consecutive days starting on December 28.

During that period, the crew reportedly took off multiple times, each time avoiding contact as angry local residents gathered near the airstrip.

On December 31, 2025, however, the aircraft landed again, and a confrontation followed.

Local youth representatives and police officers reportedly gathered at the site to prevent the aircraft from taking off.

According to the report, the crew refused to leave the aircraft or cooperate with local authorities.

The aircraft was later allowed to depart after locals were instructed to stand down.

The aircraft’s activity may have been linked to recent U.S. strikes against Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria.

In November, Donald Trump publicly threatened to cut U.S. aid and consider military intervention in Nigeria to “totally destroy Islamic terrorists” if the country’s government, he said, “fails to protect the Christian population.”

He also said he had instructed the Department of War to prepare for “potential actions” in the region.

It is possible that the King Air B200 was conducting reconnaissance ahead of potential missile strikes, including the use of Tomahawk cruise missiles.