The Nigerian Senate has summoned the heads of the National Security Adviser, the National Intelligence Agency, and the Defence Intelligence Agency to appear before it over allegations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been funding Boko Haram.
The call for an urgent investigation followed a motion by Senator Ali Ndume, who raised concerns over a viral video of U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican representing Pennsylvania. Perry alleged at a congressional hearing that USAID had been involved in financing terrorist activities worldwide, including in Nigeria.
Ndume noted that this claim came shortly after Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, warned that terrorist groups operating in the country were receiving funding and training from international organizations.
The allegations also come days after Perry accused USAID of funding global terrorist groups, including the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, and their local affiliates like Boko Haram in Nigeria. Perry claimed that USAID’s annual budget of $697 million had been used to fund extremist training camps and madrasas (Islamic schools).
The U.S. lawmaker, a member of former President Donald Trump’s Republican Party, made the statement during a session of an advisory body set up by Trump to review U.S. government spending. Trump, who has been accused by critics of attempting to undermine institutions like USAID, had previously suspended all foreign aid for 90 days in January to assess whether the funds aligned with American interests.