At a recent session of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, Congressman Scott Perry (R-PA) accused the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of indirectly funding terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram. The session, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” took place on Thursday.
Perry claimed that USAID allocated $136 million to construct 120 schools in Pakistan but asserted that there was “zero evidence” of the schools being built. He alleged that U.S. taxpayer funds, amounting to $697 million annually, were being funneled into terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and ISIS-Khorasan through USAID operations.
“You are funding terrorism, and it’s coming through USAID,” Perry declared. “Somebody else got the money. You are paying for terrorism. This has got to end.”
The allegations come amid former President Donald Trump’s prior efforts to shut down USAID, citing corruption concerns within the agency. Reacting to Perry’s claims, former Department of State Services (DSS) director Barrister Mike Ejiofor urged Nigerian security agencies and the National Assembly to launch a thorough investigation. “If it’s true that USAID has been sponsoring Boko Haram, then that’s very dangerous,” he said.
Brigadier General Sani Usman (Rtd), former Nigerian Army spokesman, echoed Ejiofor’s call for an investigation. He highlighted longstanding suspicions about the activities of international NGOs and their potential links to terrorism. Usman recalled that security agencies had previously identified a CIA operative staying long-term in Maiduguri, raising concerns about foreign influence and covert operations.
A Boko Haram survivor expressed shock at the allegations, emphasizing that the Borno State government closely regulates NGO operations. Efforts to obtain a response from Ministry of Defence spokesperson Henshaw Ogubike were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
The accusations from Congressman Perry have reignited concerns over the transparency of international aid operations and their potential exploitation by terrorist networks. Security experts urge comprehensive investigations to uncover the truth and prevent further misuse of aid funds.
