The lawmaker representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has called on the Federal Government to investigate a claim by US Congressman Scott Perry that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army insisted that the allegation was too serious to be dismissed without proper scrutiny.
“You can’t say it’s just an allegation; it’s more than that,” Ndume stated. “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.”
The senator highlighted that there had long been suspicions about foreign humanitarian agencies operating in Nigeria’s insurgency-affected North-East, with concerns that some might be aiding terrorist activities.
“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,” he said.
He recalled previous incidents where Nigerian security agencies had raised concerns about some NGOs, including an instance when the Nigerian Army, under Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, raided an office in Maiduguri based on intelligence. He also mentioned a case where security agencies uncovered an NGO allegedly providing firearms training to its staff.
‘Nigeria Should Give Aid, Not Receive It’
Ndume also lamented Nigeria’s continued dependence on foreign aid, arguing that the country should be in a position to provide assistance rather than receive it.
“This issue of relying on aid from other countries is not even good for us because Nigeria, by now, is supposed to be the one that is giving out aid and not receiving aid,” he asserted.
The senator urged the government to focus on effective leadership and harnessing Nigeria’s abundant resources to achieve self-sufficiency.
With the terror war in the North-East having displaced millions and claimed over 50,000 lives in nearly two decades, Ndume stressed the need for immediate action to address security concerns and foreign influence in Nigeria’s humanitarian sector.