By Ebi Kesiena
A Nigerian youth group has called on the federal government to investigate allegations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding Boko Haram.
Abdul-Aziz Yusuf, Head of Communications at the African Youth Assembly for Peace (AYAP), made this statement in Abuja, raising concerns over claims by U.S. Congressman Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. Perry alleged that USAID was financing terrorist groups, including ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram.
Yusuf described the allegations as serious and urged the government to address them urgently. He proposed the establishment of an independent investigative panel comprising experts in security, finance, and international relations to examine the claims.
The panel, he suggested, should gather evidence, interview key stakeholders, and scrutinise financial records linked to USAID funding in Nigeria to identify any suspicious transactions.
As a preventive measure, Yusuf advised the government to empower the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs to closely monitor the operations of both local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the country.
Additionally, he recommended strengthening Nigeria’s whistleblowing systems to protect individuals reporting suspicious activities by these organisations.
“Nigeria should also enhance its counter-terrorism laws to prevent terrorism financing, improve intelligence gathering and sharing, and dismantle terrorist networks,” he said.
