US Ambassador denies USAID funds Boko Haram
Richard Mills, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, has rejected claims that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds Boko Haram or other terrorist groups.
Mills, speaking at a meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum in Abuja on Wednesday, emphasized that there is no evidence supporting such allegations.
Mills reiterated that the U.S. strongly condemns Boko Haram’s violence and that the U.S. government would immediately investigate any evidence suggesting that USAID funding or other U.S. assistance had been misused by terrorist groups. He assured that the U.S. works closely with the Nigerian government in such investigations and follows strict policies to prevent any diversion of funds to groups like Boko Haram.
The ambassador stated, “There is absolutely no evidence of such diversion,” and confirmed that the U.S. has designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization since 2013, which allows the U.S. to block assets and take legal action against its members.
The allegations were first raised on February 13 by U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, who accused USAID of indirectly funding terror groups, including Boko Haram, through its annual budget, which includes payments to Islamic schools (madrasas). Perry argued that such funds might have been misused for extremist training and terrorist activities.
In response to these claims, the Nigerian Senate called for an investigation and summoned security officials, including the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and the heads of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and State Security Services (SSS), to clarify the situation. The Senate emphasized the importance of verifying the allegations and understanding the full scope of the issue, particularly regarding the ongoing Boko Haram threat despite significant government investments in counter-terrorism efforts.
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