• Akpabio: USAID offices have no business in Nigeria if found funding Boko Haram
• FG promises restoration of infrastructure destroyed by Boko Haram
Barely a week after Boko Haram was featured in an alleged terror funding inquest into the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Nigerian Senate in the federal government’s first official reaction has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the heads of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed; Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi; and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye as it begins investigations into the allegations.
This is coming a day after the United States Embassy in Nigeria assured of its commitment towards ensuring that all assistance provided to Nigeria is thoroughly monitored and reaches its intended recipients while pledging to continue working with Nigeria and regional partners to combat terrorism and enhance security in West Africa.
U.S. Congressman, Scott Perry opened Pandora’s box when he alleged that USAID has been funding global terrorist groups, including Boko Haram.
Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, alleged during a congressional hearing that American taxpayer money was being misused to finance extremist groups. “Who gets some of that money? Your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas are sent to ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Khorasan, and terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry claimed in a video that has since gone viral. He also accused USAID of misallocating $136 million meant for constructing 120 schools in Pakistan, with no evidence of their existence.
At plenary yesterday, the Senate, adopting a motion by its former majority leader, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, immediately resolved to invite the intelligence chiefs. Ndume urged the Senate to take the revelation seriously, given the devastation caused by terrorists, particularly Boko Haram. He emphasised that a thorough investigation would end speculation about how non-state actors have managed to survive over the years.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, endorsed the resolution but stressed that security matters are best handled behind closed doors. He noted that intelligence chiefs would provide the Senate with a clearer perspective in a private briefing before further steps are taken on the matter. However, no date has been set for the heads of the nation’s intelligence agencies to appear before the Senate.
Akpabio maintained that it is important for Nigeria to ascertain the veracity of the allegation, saying Nigeria won’t allow USAID to continue operations in Nigeria if the American government agency is found guilty of sponsoring terrorism. “If it is true that USAID has been funding Boko Haram in Nigeria, we have no business allowing them to have offices in Nigeria. So, before we can take decisive steps and also ask for recompense, automatically we must go deeper into the issue,” the Senate President said.
He noted that the allegation is coming on the heels of the alarm raised by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, that Boko Haram terrorist groups are being sponsored and trained by international organisations.
“Over the years, the modus operandi of Boko Haram in Nigeria has been a source of great concern. Their source of funding and operations have been shrouded in mystery. The devastation caused by Boko Haram in the Northeast region and other parts of the country, which includes the bombing of the UN building in August 2021, and of course, the bombing of the police headquarters here in Abuja, among other attacks, led to loss of lives of Nigerians in thousands, and wanton destructions on properties which occasioned unprecedented internal displacement across the country,” he stated.
WHILE the Federal Government was yet to officially react to the disclosure, it was however gathered last night that President Bola Tinubu met with the Senate President at his official residence in the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja hours after the Senate plenary.
While details of the closed-door meeting were still expected as of press time last night, elders from Nigeria’s northeast region have called for USAID and other foreign donor organisations to leave the region following allegations of terrorism financing.
The Borno Elders Forum, led by its Secretary, Dr. Bulama Male Gubio, urged the Nigerian government to allow U.S. President, Donald Trump, to proceed with an investigation into claims made by U.S. Congressman, Perry. USAID has been the subject of recent controversy, with the Trump administration targeting the agency for closure and downsizing. The administration has highlighted several projects as examples of “waste and abuse” at USAID.
“I raised concerns about the sinister activities of NGOs in Borno State as far back as 2014. I was invited to Abuja and detained for questioning. It took the intervention of Borno elders to bail me out,” Gubio said.
The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) identified Borno State as the hardest-hit region for terrorism in Nigeria in 2022, accounting for 60 per cent of all terror-related deaths. The state suffered a particularly devastating attack when gunmen killed 50 civilians accused of informing security forces about terrorist movements. The Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that they had targeted spies.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has pledged to fast-track the restoration of infrastructure destroyed by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east. According to the Minister of State for Regional Development, Mr Uba Ahmadu, the government is poised to achieve the region’s recovery efforts through special intervention.
Ahmadu spoke during a tour of intervention projects being carried out by the North East Development Commission (NEDC) and paid a visit to Borno Governor, Babagana Zulum in Maiduguri yesterday.
The Minister said Borno had a special place in the developmental agenda of his Ministry and the NEDC, saying the ministry was very happy with the partnership between the state and NEDC. “We intend to intensify collaborations to fast-track ongoing projects, initiate new interventions where necessary and work with stakeholders to make Borno State a model.”
