REPS PROBE NGOs OVER TERRORISM FUNDING ALLEGATIONS

Thursday, constituted an ad hoc committee to probe the activities of non-governmental organisations in the country in relation to last week’s claim by an American congressman, Scot Perry, that the United States Agency for International Development is funding global terrorism, including the Boko Haram sect.

The resolution of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Gombe lawmaker, Mr Inuwa Garba.

The investigation aims to uncover the “real identities, sources of funding and what NGOs operating in the country spend their money on.”

The Senate had on Wednesday summoned security chiefs over the same allegation, preparatory to a probe. 

But the US Ambassador to Nigeria told the Nigeria Governors’ Forum late Wednesday night that there was no evidence USAID was funding Boko Haram.

At the House plenary on Thursday, the Reps resolved to probe NGOs who worked in the North-East, which is the epicentre of terrorism in the country.

Drumming support for the motion, Garba, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party said the allegations, if true, could pose a significant threat to the war against terrorism by the Nigerian government.

“Nigeria has been battling insurgency and terrorism for over a decade, with the government committing enormous resources to counterterrorism operations while also seeking international cooperation to curb the menace.

“Such an allegation, if not thoroughly investigated, could undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty, compromise national security efforts, and diminish public confidence in the fight against terrorism.

“Failure to unearth the truth behind this weighty claim could embolden criminal and terrorist elements, further exacerbating the insecurity challenges confronting the country.”

Also speaking, Sada Soli from Katsina State, said the allegation was a “very serious matter,” given that Perry is a senior member of the US parliament.

On his part, Amobi Ogah, a lawmaker from Abia State, said NGOs “occupy most offices” in Borno State, hence, they must be investigated.

The Green Chamber, therefore, asked the Federal Government to engage with the US government to “obtain a formal clarification on this matter”.

The House also summoned the nation’s top security chiefs, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Director General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi, to avail it what they know about the claims.

Meanwhile, the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has said that there is no evidence that USAID is funding Boko Haram or any terrorist group.

Ambassador Mills stated this after a meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum in Abuja late Wednesday night, stressing that no nation condemns Boko Haram’s violence more strongly than the US.

He assured that if any evidence was found, the Donald Trump-led government would work with the Nigerian government to unearth what transpired.

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Boko Haram is a terrorist group founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf.

The group’s objectives have included promoting Sunni Islam and eliminating Shia Islam in Nigeria.

Over the years, thousands of Nigerians have lost their lives, billions of naira worth of property has been destroyed, and many families have been displaced.

In response to a question, the US Ambassador stated that his country has strict policies to prevent USAID or any other US assistance from being diverted to terrorist groups like Boko Haram.

He stated, “Let me be clear—there is no friend of Nigeria stronger in condemning Boko Haram’s violence and disregard for human life than the United States. We have designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization since 2013, blocking the group from transferring assets to the U.S. and allowing us to arrest and seize its members.

“We cooperate in investigations with the Nigerian government. I can assure you that we have strict policies and procedures to ensure that USAID funding or any other U.S. assistance, whether from USAID, the Department of Defense, or the State Department, is not diverted to terrorist groups like Boko Haram.

“There is absolutely no evidence of such diversion, and if we ever had evidence that any program funding was being misused by Boko Haram, we would immediately investigate it with our Nigerian partners.

“So, when it comes to Boko Haram, the United States stands with Nigeria in wanting to rid this country of the scourge that this organization represents.”

90-day aids pause

Mills clarified that President Trump’s administration did not cut assistance but implemented a 90-day pause to develop ways to make it more effective.

He said: “No assistance has been cut yet, and no decisions have been made about the future of our assistance. In fact, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio has said that this is not about ending foreign assistance to our partners like Nigeria. It’s about making our assistance more effective and aligning it with US government policies and interests.

“That’s what this 90-day pause is for. However, there are waivers for life-saving assistance, such as support for HIV patients, maternal and child nutrition, and internally displaced people. So that continues. In 90 days, we will know where we stand.”

On issues discussed with the 36 state governors, the Ambassador mentioned that he outlined the embassy’s vision for the future of the US-Nigerian relationship.

He stated, “I explained to them that we are going to focus on four key priorities in the coming years. The first is improving the business environment to increase trade and investment between the United States and Nigeria.

“Second, a renewed focus on improving transparency and accountability in Nigeria, fighting corruption, and empowering Nigerian voices advocating for more transparency.

“Third, we want to be more engaged at the sub-national level, at the state level, and with local governing authorities. I believe the embassy needs to engage more in this area as we develop our programmes and assistance.

“Lastly, we discussed our health care programs, which are a large part of U.S. assistance to Nigeria. As these programmes succeed—such as reducing HIV cases and eradicating polio—we want to ensure their sustainability and transition them to the Nigerian government at the federal and state levels.”