The Senator representing Borno South senatorial district in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has demanded an immediate investigations into allegations made by U.S. Congressman, Scott Perry, that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), had been actively involved in funding terrorist organisations including Boko Haram.
Ndume, a former Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, who made the call during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, urged the federal government as well as the National Assembly to commence immediate investigations into the allegations made by Perry.
The Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, had last week,
stirred the hornet’s nest during the inaugural hearing of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, when he alleged that the USAID had been providing up to $697m annually to terrorist groups across the world, including Boko Haram which has been waging terrorism war in Nigeria for over two decades now.
While reacting to the allegations during the programme, Ndume said they were not only weighty but worrisome and called for a thorough investigation.
“We have been wondering for years, aside from raids and kidnappings, where are these terrorists getting their funds? It’s worrisome. Now that a U.S. Congressman has openly spoken about it, we can’t dismiss it as just an allegation. It’s more than that. That’s why the Nigerian government and the National Assembly, especially, need to investigate and verify the veracity of such claims,” Ndume said.
“Boko Haram has ravaged not only the North-East but even Nigeria as a whole. You can remember how Boko Haram bombed the police headquarters and the UN office in Abuja,” the senator said.
“The casualties were enormous. But the security agencies have raised this issue indirectly several times. Even the Borno State government was wary of the operations of some NGOs.
“The devastating impact of Boko Haram insurgency has claimed over 50,000 lives and displaced 2.5 million people over the years. 400,000 persons have been displaced from Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states and are currently taking refuge in Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
“When you look at these figures, it’s alarming. And when you analyze Boko Haram’s modus operandi, you begin to question whether they are receiving supplies from external sources.
“This is a matter of urgent national importance. We need to set up a strong committee involving security agencies like the Office of the NSA, the DIA, and the DSS because this falls within their responsibilities. It’s not just about internal security.
“This should be a wake-up call for all of us. We need to make Nigeria work. By now, Nigeria ought to be the one giving out aid, not the one receiving it,” he added.
