The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has dismissed allegations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is funding Boko Haram or any other terrorist organization. Mills made this statement on Wednesday following a meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum in Abuja.
The ambassador assured that the United States strongly condemns the violent acts of Boko Haram and would work with the Nigerian government to investigate any credible evidence of terrorist funding. His remarks come after Congressman Scott Perry alleged that USAID funds were being misused to support terrorist activities, including those of Boko Haram.
Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, made the claim during a hearing of the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency. He stated that funds amounting to $697 million annually were allegedly being diverted to terrorist groups, including ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram. His comments have since drawn widespread attention, prompting Nigerian authorities to seek clarification.
In response, Mills reaffirmed that the United States has strict policies in place to ensure that aid funds do not fall into the hands of terrorist organizations.
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 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.”
