Borno South Senator, Ali Ndume, has called on the Nigerian government to thoroughly investigate the claims of the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, funding Boko Haram and other terrorists organizations.

 

Ndume’s call came against the backdrop of an allegation made by Pennsylvanian Republican lawmaker, Scot Perry that USAID was funding terrorists organizations.

 

Perry disclosed this during an inaugural hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency last Thursday.

 

Speaking during the session tagged: “The War on Waste: Stamping Out the Scourge of Improper Payments and Fraud,” focused on alleged misuse of taxpayer funds, the Congress man alleged that $697 million in aid was being funnelled to Boko Haram, ISIS, and Al-Qaeda through USAID.

 

Perry claimed that there is no record of USAID using $136 million to build 120 schools in Pakistan.

 

However, appearing on Channels Television, Sunday Politics, Ndume said Perry’s allegations should be seriously looked into.

 

According to Ndume: “You can’t say it’s just an allegation; it’s more than that.

 

“That’s why the Nigerian government and the National Assembly, especially, need to look into it to investigate and verify the veracity of such a very weighty allegation.

 

“This development is very worrisome, especially because one of the terrorist organisations mentioned by Scott Perry is Boko Haram, and Boko Haram has ravaged not only the North-East but even other parts of Nigeria.

 

“You can remember Boko Haram bombed the police headquarters and the UN office in Abuja, and the casualties were enormous. So, the Nigerian government must be interested.

 

“I’m worried, but the Nigerian security agencies have raised this indirectly several times. Even the Borno State government was wary of the operations of the NGOs.

 

“We have been wondering for all these years where these people are getting money.”