NDUME CALLS FG TO INVESTIGATE CLAIM THAT USAID FUNDED BOKO HARAM

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Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has urged the Federal Government to investigate US Congressman Scott Perry’s allegation that the United States Agency for International Development funded Boko Haram and other terrorist groups.

Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, made the claim during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency last Thursday.

The session, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” focused on alleged misuse of taxpayer funds.

During the hearing, Perry said that $697 million in US aid was being funnelled to terrorist groups, including Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda.

He further alleged that USAID’s funding of $136 million to build 120 schools in Pakistan showed no evidence of the schools’ construction.

Ndume, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, said the accusations should be taken seriously.

“You can’t say it’s just an allegation; it’s more than that.

“That’s why the Nigerian government and the National Assembly, especially, need to look into it to investigate and verify the veracity of such a very weighty allegation,” Ndume said.

The lawmaker added, “This development is very worrisome, especially because one of the terrorist organisations mentioned by Scott Perry is Boko Haram, and Boko Haram has ravaged not only the North-East but even other parts of Nigeria.

“You can remember Boko Haram bombed the police headquarters and the UN office in Abuja, and the casualties were enormous. So, the Nigerian government must be interested.

“I’m worried, but the Nigerian security agencies have raised this indirectly several times. Even the Borno State government was wary of the operations of the NGOs.”

Ndume also recalled previous incidents, including intelligence-led raids on USAID and UN offices in Maiduguri during the tenure of Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, and another raid on an NGO suspected of training staff in firearm use.

“We have been wondering for all these years where these people are getting money,” Ndume said.