The Nigerian Senate has summoned the heads of the National Security Adviser (NSA), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) to address allegations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been funding Boko Haram in Nigeria.
This move comes in response to a motion by Senator Ali Ndume, who raised concerns over a viral video featuring U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania. In the video, Perry alleged during a congressional hearing that USAID has been financing terrorist activities globally, including in Nigeria.
Senator Ndume pointed out that this claim aligns with recent warnings from Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who previously stated that terrorist groups in Nigeria were receiving foreign funding and support.
Perry further alleged that USAID’s $697 million annual budget had been misused to fund terrorist training camps and madrasas (Islamic schools) that serve as recruitment centers for extremist groups, including ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram.
His statement was made during a session of an advisory committee established by former U.S. President Donald Trump, which was reviewing U.S. foreign aid spending. Notably, Trump had previously halted all foreign aid for 90 days in January to reassess whether American funds were being used in ways that aligned with U.S. interests.
The Senate’s investigation aims to verify the claims and determine if there is any truth to the allegations that foreign organizations are funding terrorist activities within Nigeria.
