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JUST IN: US Ambassador Refutes Allegations of USAID Funding Boko Haram

Published

1 month ago

Feb 20, 2025.

During a hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, US Congressman Scott Perry accused the USAID of funding terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram.
Despite these concerns, Mills reiterated the United States’ commitment to preventing any US assistance from falling into the hands of terrorist groups like Boko Haram.
He clarified that President Donald Trump’s administration did not cut assistance but implemented a 90-day pause to develop ways to make it more effective.

US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, refuted claims that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding Boko Haram or any other terrorist organization during a meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum in Abuja, Eko Hot Blog reports.

Mills emphasized that the United States strongly condemns Boko Haram’s violence and asserted that if any evidence of such funding were found, the US government would collaborate with Nigerian authorities to investigate.

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These statements come in response to allegations made by Congressman Scott Perry in February, who accused USAID of supporting terrorist groups like Boko Haram.

Mills’ remarks reaffirm the US’s commitment to combatting terrorism and fostering stability in Nigeria, while also highlighting the need for continued cooperation between the two nations to effectively address such threats.

Founded in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf, Boko Haram’s objectives have included promoting Sunni Islam and eradicating Shia Islam within Nigeria.

During a hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, US Congressman Scott Perry accused the USAID of funding terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram.

Perry’s allegations have stirred controversy, given the devastating impact Boko Haram has had on Nigeria, with thousands of lives lost, billions of Naira worth of property destroyed, and countless families displaced.

The session, titled “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” focused on alleged misappropriations of taxpayer funds.

“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, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” he said.

In the wake Perry’s claims , the Nigerian Senate has summoned the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the heads of the National Intelligence Agency and Defence Intelligence Agency to address these allegations.

Despite these concerns, Mills reiterated the United States’ commitment to preventing any US assistance from falling into the hands of 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.

JUST IN: US Ambassador Refutes Allegations of USAID Funding Boko Haram

We have designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organisation since 2013, blocking the group from transferring assets to the US 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 US assistance, whether from USAID, the Department of Defence, 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 programme 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 organisation represents.”

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

Mills explained, “No assistance has been cut yet, and no decisions have been made about the future of our assistance.

In fact, 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.”

Regarding other issues discussed with the 36 state governors, the US 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 subnational 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 programs and assistance.

“Lastly, we discussed our health care programmes, which are a large part of US 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.”