Senator Ali Ndume of Borno South has called for an investigation into the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Nigeria, following allegations that the agency may have been funding terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram. Ndume’s comments were made after U.S. Congressman Scott Perry accused USAID of supporting terrorist groups globally. Ndume believes this situation presents an opportunity for Nigeria to probe the activities of USAID, especially since international organizations like USAID often operate without sufficient oversight from local security agencies.
The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has denied these allegations, stating that there is no evidence to suggest that USAID has been involved in funding Boko Haram or other terrorist groups. He also assured that if such evidence were found, the U.S. would work with the Nigerian government to investigate the matter.
The Senate has called a closed-door session with top security officials, including the National Security Adviser and directors from the Department of State Services, National Intelligence Agency, and Defence Intelligence Agency, to address the allegations and provide clarity.