SOME Nigerians have demanded an investigation into the allegations by a United States Congressman, Scott Perry, that the United States Agency for International Development funded terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram.
Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania, claimed during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency on Thursday.
The session, titled, ‘The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,’ focused on alleged misappropriations of taxpayer funds.
President Donald Trump had suspended USAID and other aid programmes, accusing them of corruption.
The lawmaker alleged that the US aid agency funded terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram, to the tune of $697m annually.
In a video that went viral, Perry said, “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.”
Perry’s allegations came amid growing concerns from Nigerian authorities regarding the financial support mechanisms sustaining Boko Haram.
In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, expressed concerns about how International Non-Governmental Organisations operate in conflict zones, particularly in the North-East, where Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents are active.
He urged the United Nations to investigate the sources of funding for terror groups, adding that many insurgents found in military operations had been caught with foreign currencies.
While the Nigerian government has yet to issue an official statement regarding the congressman’s claims, several prominent figures, including a former minister and foreign envoys, have weighed in on the matter, calling for a thorough investigation to verify the allegations.
A former Nigerian Ambassador to Brazil and Argentina, Dele Cole, condemned the claim that USAID funds were being used to fund terrorism in Nigeria.
Cole questioned whether the funds were given to Nigeria in the form of cash and called on the Federal Government to investigate the claim.
He said, “I think the Federal Government should investigate the claims. If they (US) know this is funding terrorism, why can’t they complain to the government? Why is it now, with the new president in place, that they are looking for evil as much as they can?
“Nigeria, for example, does not send us cash, we get tablets for HIV and other things. They have been sending us these aids, and I think it is about time we should say to them thank you very much, but we can now look after ourselves.
“They say the money they sent us is about N1bn, and if this amount of drugs comes into the country, we should be thankful. It’s a good thing on their part. However, it should also serve as a wake-up call for countries in Africa to take care of themselves. We should have enough resources to care for our own and not depend on other countries.”
The former ambassador advised that African countries must reject aid from the West, and focus on bettering their own countries.
Speaking with this newspaper, a former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, emphasised the need for a thorough probe to determine the truth behind the claims made by the congressman.
Adeniran, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, said the government must engage with relevant international bodies to verify the claims and, if true, take appropriate diplomatic and security measures to prevent further occurrences.
“Nigeria must investigate the allegations to ascertain whether they are true or false. If they are true, then the government should take the necessary steps.
“We must also find out the extent of the involvement of the agency in terrorism funding in the country,” Adeniran said.
Speaking with this newspaper, a retired general and former commander of the 9th Motorised Brigade at the Ikeja Cantonment, Brig. Gen. George Emdin, said even though Perry’s revelation was a statement of fact, the Federal Government must address it.
“It is not an accusation. It is a statement of fact. It is an open secret and nothing new. The US Congress member who raised it now did so just to justify their strong desire to cancel USAID.
“But we all know that foreign countries don’t want Africa to get settled because it would not favour them. So, the Federal Government should sort it out,” the retired general stated.
The Special Assistant on Digital Communications to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, also echoed this position, noting that Nigeria and other countries plagued by Boko Haram terrorism should seek compensation from the US government for the loss of innocent lives due to the terror acts.
“With this revelation, I think it is only fair for Nigeria, Niger, and other countries affected by Boko Haram terrorism to demand compensation from the US government for the loss of lives, destruction, and instability inflicted upon millions of innocent people in these countries.
“For us, the greatest takeaway from this revelation should be the complete elimination of Boko Haram and all its elements, along with the restoration of stability in our communities after more than a decade of devastation.
“Anything beyond this is just the US advancing its internal political interests at our expense,” he wrote on X.
On his part, the Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof Eghosa Osaghae, called on the US to provide evidence to support the claims of the congressman.
“It is an allegation and I do not think that without getting to the bottom of what they (US) are saying Nigeria can respond in any way. The allegations have to be proven. If they are proven, then that becomes a different thing. At this stage, it is mere speculation,” Osaghae said.