In a strategic effort to address national security concerns, the Nigerian Senate has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to provide clarification regarding allegations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been financing the terrorist group Boko Haram.
The Senate underscored the necessity for transparency and accountability in the manner in which security agencies manage issues about the financing of terrorism and overall national security.
The call for an urgent investigation was initiated by Senator Ali Ndume, who expressed concerns over a viral video featuring U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania.
During a congressional hearing, Congressman Perry asserted that USAID had been financing terrorist activities globally, including in Nigeria.
Senator Ndume highlighted that this claim arose shortly after Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, cautioned that terrorist groups operating within the country were receiving funding and training from international organizations.
This set of allegations coincides with Perry's claims that USAID has funded global terrorist organizations, including the Islamic State and al-Qaeda, along with their local affiliates such as Boko Haram in Nigeria. Perry contended that USAID’s annual budget of $697 million had been allocated to support extremist training camps and madrasas (Islamic schools).
The U.S. legislator, affiliated with former President Donald Trump’s Republican Party, made these statements during a session of an advisory body established by Trump to evaluate U.S. government spending. Trump, previously criticized for attempting to undermine institutions such as USAID, had suspended all foreign aid for a period of 90 days in January to determine whether the allocated funds served American interests.
The summons issued by the Senate are part of a broader initiative aimed at enhancing legislative oversight of security operations and ensuring that effective measures are implemented to combat insurgency and terrorism within Nigeria. Lawmakers are particularly focused on comprehending the mechanisms established to detect and prevent any potential funding streams that could support Boko Haram's activities.