The Nigerian Senate has launched a probe into the alarming allegation that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) may have been involved in funding Boko Haram, a terrorist group responsible for widespread destruction in the country.
In response to the claims, the Senate has summoned bosses from Nigeria’s top security agencies, including the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and the heads of the Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), to provide clarity on the matter.
According to the upper legislative chamber, the meeting with the heads of these security agencies will be in close session.
The senate’s resolution follows a motion sponsored by Sen. Ali Ndume (APC-Borno) during the plenary session on Wednesday in Abuja.
The motion was prompted by a trending social media video in which U.S. Congressman Scott Perry claimed that the U.S. aid agency, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), had funded terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram.
Perry, a Republican representative from Pennsylvania, made this claim during the inaugural hearing of the Sub-committee on Delivering on Government Efficiency.
The session, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” focused on alleged misappropriations of taxpayer funds.
Ndume said the social media had been awash with the trending video of a United States Republican congressman, Scott Perry representing Pennsylvania alleging that USAID had been funding terrorist organisations across the world, Boko Haram inclusive.
He said that the devastation caused by Boko Haram in the North-East region of Nigeria and other parts of the country include bombing, including the UN office in Abuja and police headquarters among other attacks.
The attacks, he noted, had become a major concern, causing the loss of thousands of Nigerian lives and widespread destruction of property, leading to an unprecedented level of internal displacement across the country.
Mr Ndume noted that over the years, the Federal Government had made significant efforts to implement measures aimed at curbing the activities of terrorist groups, spending substantial resources. However, these efforts appeared to have yielded limited results, as terrorist activities persisted.
He said that the monumental devastation caused by Boko Haram in Nigeria should be a matter of concern as it had dented the image of the country among a comity of nations.
Mr Ndume said allegations began to emerge at this point that some international organisations were behind the unwholesome acts.
He therefore added that urgent steps needed to be taken by the federal government to unravel the mystery.
Contributing Sen.Shehu Kaka (APC-Borno), who seconded the motion said the allegation was weighty, saying that banditry and other forms of criminality had affected the 109 senatorial districts.
He emphasised that efforts should be focused on uncovering the sources of funding for Boko Haram.
Sen. Abdul Ningi (PDP-Bauchi) said that it would be impossible for the senate to adequately address the matter in plenary without the input of relevant security agencies, who should be invited to brief the senate on the issue.
Ningi, therefore, urged the senate to adopt a single motion to invite the NSA, as well as the heads of the DSS, NIA, and DIA, to brief the senate on the allegation.
In his remarks, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio thanked Mr Ningi for his contribution and emphasised that the concerned security agencies should brief the senate in a closed session.
He noted that such sensitive security matters should not be discussed in public.
