Senate summons security chiefs over alleged terrorism funding by USAID

The Nigerian Senate has summoned the country’s security chiefs over an allegation that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded terrorism in Nigeria.
The decision followed a motion by the senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Mohammed Ali Ndume, over the issue.
Ndume emphasised that the allegation was too significant to ignore, given the devastating impact of terrorism on the country, particularly in the hands of Boko Haram fighters.
Security chiefs invited include the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Directorate of Intelligence Agency (DIA), State Security Services (SSS), and the National Security Adviser (NSA)
While endorsing the motion, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, noted that security issues should be discussed behind closed doors rather than in public to ensure a more informed and effective approach to addressing the situation.
The ICIR reported that a US Congressman, Scott Perry, accused the embattled USAID of allegedly funding terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram, although he did not provide any evidence to back his claims.
Perry made the allegation during the inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Thursday, February 13.
In his presentation titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,“ Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, asked several questions about USAID’s operations.
In a video that has gone viral, Perry queried, “Who gets some of that money? Does that name ring a bell to anybody in the room? Because your money, your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, and terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding.”
Perry also claimed that USAID spent $136 million to build 120 schools in Pakistan, but there was no evidence that the schools were ever constructed.
The lawmaker alleged that the programmes under Operation Enduring Sentinel, specifically the Women’s Scholarship Endowment and Young Women Lead, which receive $60 million and $5 million annually, respectively, were not benefiting the women in Afghanistan as intended.
He stated that according to the inspector general’s report, the Taliban did not allow women to speak in public, making it unlikely that the funds were used for their betterment.
Perry argued that the money was being used to fund terrorism through USAID and that the issue was not limited to Afghanistan but also affected neighbouring Pakistan.
Perry in the past has made allegations without evidence. The Washington Post noted that he played a key role in promoting false claims of fraud following the last US presidential election. In 2018, he was also accused of linking ISIS with the Las Vegas massacre without substantiating the claim.
Boko Haram is a terrorist organisation based in northeastern Nigeria. The group has carried out numerous violent attacks, including massacres and mass abductions, such as the killing of 59 schoolchildren and the kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in 2014.
The USAID has been under fire since Donald Trump was sworn in as president on January 20. The administration immediately revealed its plan to dismantle the organisation.
USAID announced that it would be placing its staff on administrative leave, both in the US and abroad, following Trump’s decision.
The move, seen as controversial by many, sparked widespread criticisms from Democrats and human rights organisations, who argued that it would have a devastating impact on global humanitarian efforts.