Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has urged the Federal Government to investigate allegations by U.S. Congressman Scott Perry that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations.
Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, made the claims during a congressional hearing on government efficiency last Thursday, alleging that $697 million in U.S. aid had been funneled to terrorist groups, including Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda. He also stated that USAID’s funding of $136 million for 120 schools in Pakistan showed no evidence of actual construction.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Ndume said the Nigerian government must take the allegations seriously and verify their accuracy.
“You can’t say it’s just an allegation; it’s more than that,” he stated. “The Nigerian government and the National Assembly must investigate such a weighty claim.”
Ndume expressed concern that Boko Haram, which has devastated the North-East and other parts of Nigeria, was named in Perry’s allegations. He recalled previous intelligence-led raids on USAID and UN offices in Maiduguri during Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai’s tenure, as well as a separate raid on an NGO suspected of training staff in firearm use.
“We have been wondering for years where these terrorists get their funding,” Ndume said, adding that Nigerian security agencies and even the Borno State government have raised concerns about the activities of some NGOs.
The Federal Government has yet to respond to Perry’s claims, but Ndume’s call adds pressure for an official investigation into the alleged links between foreign aid and terrorist financing in Nigeria.
