The Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) has urged the Nigerian National Assembly to launch a thorough investigation into allegations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) may have provided financial support to terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram.
The call comes in response to claims made by U.S. Congressman Scott Perry, who alleged that USAID may have funneled funds to Boko Haram, a militant group responsible for thousands of deaths in Nigeria over the past two decades, including the infamous 2014 kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls.
MPAC Executive Chairman, Disu Kamor, expressed grave concern over these allegations, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability. He stressed the urgency of uncovering any foreign involvement in the sponsorship of terrorism, which continues to devastate Nigerian communities.
Read also: US lawmaker alleges USAID funds Boko Haram, other terror groups
The organization pointed out that Nigerian Muslims have often faced unwarranted scrutiny and accusations of sympathy for Boko Haram. If these allegations against USAID are substantiated, MPAC argues, they would expose the hypocrisy of blaming local Muslim communities while foreign actors allegedly provided financial backing to the terror group.
“We call on the National Assembly to act swiftly and decisively by initiating a full-scale investigation into these claims. Nigerians deserve the truth about any foreign links to terrorism within our borders,” Kamor stated.
MPAC also demanded that the U.S. government conduct its own independent probe, asserting that American taxpayers must be assured their funds are not being misused to sponsor violence in Nigeria.
The organization reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to justice for victims of Boko Haram’s reign of terror and insisted that those responsible for financing terrorism be held accountable without delay.