The United States (U.S.) Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, says there is no evidence that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding Boko Haram or any terrorist group.
Mills, who spoke after a meeting with Nigerian Governors under the aegis of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in Abuja on Wednesday night, stated that no nation condemns Boko Haram’s violence more strongly than the U.S. assuring that if any evidence is found, the US government will work with the Nigerian government to investigate it.
This is just as the Senate has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA) , Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Ajayi; Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed, and the Chief Defence Intelligence (CDI), Major General Emmanuel Undiandeye, over the alleged sponsorship of Boko Haram by USAID.
They are to appear before the lawmakers behind closed doors for an explanation of the allegation levelled against the US agency.
On February 13, Congressman Scott Perry accused USAID of funding terrorist groups, including Boko Haram. Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, made this statement during the first hearing of the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud” focused on alleged misappropriations of taxpayer funds.
“Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” he said.
The U.S. Ambassador, who spoke to journalists after a meeting with the Governors said his country has strict policies to prevent USAID or any other American assistance from being diverted to terrorist groups like Boko Haram.
According to him: “Let me be clear. There is no friend of Nigeria stronger in condemning Boko Haram’s violence and disregard for human life than the United States. We have designated Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) since 2013, blocking the group from transferring assets to the US and allowing us to arrest and seize its members.
“We cooperate in investigations with the Nigerian government. I can assure you that we have strict policies and procedures to ensure that USAID funding or any other US assistance, whether from USAID, the Department of Defence, or the State Department, is not diverted to terrorist groups like Boko Haram.
“There is absolutely no evidence of such diversion, and if we ever had evidence that any programme funding was being misused by Boko Haram, we would immediately investigate it with our Nigerian partners.
“So, when it comes to Boko Haram, the United States stands with Nigeria in wanting to rid this country of the scourge that this organisation represents.”
Clarifying that President Donald Trump’s administration did not cut assistance but implemented a 90-day pause to develop ways to make it more effective, he explained: “No assistance has been cut yet, and no decisions have been made about the future of our assistance. In fact, U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has said that this is not about ending foreign assistance to our partners like Nigeria. It’s about making our assistance more effective and aligning it with US government policies and interests.
“That’s what this 90-day pause is for. However, there are waivers for life-saving assistance, such as support for HIV patients, maternal and child nutrition, and internally displaced people. So that continues. In 90 days, we will know where we stand.”
Meanwhile, the Senate meeting with the nation’s top Intelligence chiefs is to assess the credibility of the allegations, discuss Nigeria’s broader security challenges and determine necessary policy responses.
However, no date has been fixed for the meeting.
The invitation followed a resolution of the Senate sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume and co- sponsored by eight other Senators.
The Senate after debate on the motion, resolved to summon the NSA , the Director-General of DSS, his counterparts in NIA and DIA behind closed doors on a day to be communicated to them.
In his presentation of the motion, Senator Ndume highlighted the reports circulating in the media, following a hearing by the U.S. Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency.
The former Senate leader, who expressed concern over the mystery surrounding Boko Haram’s sources of fund and its sustained ability to wreak havoc across Nigeria, particularly in the northeastern region, said: “It is known that 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. It is known that the devastation caused by Boko Haram in the northeast region and other parts of the country, which includes the bombing of UN building in August 2021, and, of course, the bombing of the police headquarters here in Abuja, among other attacks, led to loss of life of Nigerians in thousands and unwanted destruction on properties which occasioned and caused internal displacement across the country.
“The federal government over the years, strives to put measures in place to curtail the activities of terrorist groups in the country by expending huge resources which seem not to have yielded much result, as the various activities of terrorists continue.
“The monumental devastation caused by Boko Haram in this country should be a matter of concern as it has dented the image of this country.”
Ndume also noted that Perry’s claim came shortly after the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, raised alarm that terrorist groups in the country were receiving sponsorship and training from international organizations.
After his presentation, other Senators echoed the need for an in-depth probe into the alleged international financing of terrorism in Nigeria.
On his part, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, noted that previous intelligence efforts to trace terrorist funding sources had not yielded the desired results.
“The intelligence agencies in Nigeria have in the past made numerous attempts to investigate the funding of these terrorists and bandits through various ways, but did not yield the much desired results,’’ he said.
In his contribution, Senator Abdul Ningi, called for a high-level security briefing, emphasising that such sensitive matters should not be debated openly in the Senate.
Instead, he proposed a closed-door meeting with the National Security Adviser, the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, NIA, the Director of the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA.
Ningi said: “We do not need a very robust, elaborate debate because the apex lawmaking body of the country, the Senate, needs to be briefed, first and foremost, by the head of various security agencies in a closed-door session.
“Beyond the media, beyond what I know, beyond what you know, we have intelligent organisations that are funded by this government. I strongly feel that we need to carry just one prayer, that we invite the National Security Advisor, NIA and the director of DSS, for a closed-door session with the Senate on this particular matter because that is their prerogative, that is their field.
“They have been funded to protect and ensure that the intelligence system functions well, protect this country against all odds. I’m sure this motion arose because of the inability of the government to make any pronouncement on this particular matter.”
In his remarks, the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who called for caution, warned against relying on unverified claims, especially those circulating on social media.
He pointed out that false narratives and misinformation often gain traction online, making it crucial for the Senate to hear directly from security agencies before drawing conclusions.
Akpabio said: “You know, social media is garbage in, garbage out. Everybody can say anything on the social media. Many of us have experienced social media attacks as well.
“Sometimes, 99% of what is in the social media is inaccurate, sometimes, total speculation, and sometimes based on mischief. So, there is no way we can shift the mindset behind the bar.
“We must hear from our own security agents and intelligence agencies. I also believe we should also look at the Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA.
‘’They will have information on past arrests and questionings and all that to brief us and security is not something we discuss in the market, it is something that should be discussed in closed session.’’
