By Sueliman Umaru And Lateef Adegbite
For years, there have been rumours making the rounds in both official and unofficial circles that foreign countries including the United States Agency for International Development, USAID, an aid agency, which had engaged the services of 28,000 Health workers in Nigeria alone, provide funds to the Islamic Fundamentalist Group, Boko Haram, the Islamic State of West African Province, ISWAP, operations, which had persisted in the north western states of Borno and Yobe over the last 15 years.
The Boko Haram and ISWAP, external collaborators were said to have also extended their aid assistance to the Bandits Group operating the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna, Sokoto and Kebbi states including the Indigenous People f Biafra, IPOB and the Eastern Security Network, ESN on humanitarian ground but diverted to procure lethal weapons.It was not surprising why the terror groups had made mockery of the security situation in 31, out of the 36 states of the Federation had persisted over the last 15 years.
Indeed, former National Security Advisers, NSAs, and the military chiefs may not have claimed ignorance of the foreign countries and USAID, funding of the two Terrorists Organizations and Bandits Groups across the country but had kept it to themselves, leaving the then President Goodluck Jonathan in the dark to effectively tackle the problem headlong before it degenerated to a bigger one.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who incidentally was a former governor of Lagos state, and who is not ready to make the same mistakes that former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan or Muhammadu Buhari, had made appears to have applied brute force to clip the wings of the criminal gangs.
The Nigerian President who is not happy that 31 states, out of the 36 states of the Federation, are currently experiencing security challenges appears to have thrown his weight behind Gen. Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS and the service Chiefs including Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector General of Police, IGP by ensuring that the security agencies receive adequate security votes for procurement of arms and ammunition and cater for officers’ welfare.
The CDS and the service Chiefs, appears to have risen up to the security challenge with the support of Nuhu Ribadu, an Assistant Inspector General of Police, rtd and ex-Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, now, NSA, who has the ears of President Tinubu. The CDS, who had repeatedly raised alarm over the ‘’foreign countries and the USAID, funding of the terrorists Organizations operating Nigeria may have informed why the President has thrown his weight behind the military.
The Army General who was said to have unbared his mind at the various National Security Councils, NSC, meetings chaired by President Tinubu, reported had said that ‘’ there is no way Boko Haram, and ISWAP which operates in the north eastern states of Borno, Yobe or the Bandits Group which operates in Zamfara, which had spread its tentacles to other north western states like Sokoto, Kebbi , Kaduna and Katsina, could have sustained its operations over the last 15 years without the external backing.
Gen. Musa, has every reason to believe that the Boko Haram, ISWAP and the Bandits Group, IPOB, and ESN , are funded by the foreign countries and USAID, to destabilize Nigeria, the most populous country in the West African subregion, because some of the Boko Haram and ISWAP, fighters who had been captured by the military around the Lake Chad basin axis in the recent time were found in possession of the North American country of the United States, US, dollars, of various denominations.
According to the no nonsense, CDS, who wants to beat the records of his predecessors in office, the funds had been linked to powerful nations including the USAID. The office of the Inspector General of the US, Aaid Agency, appears to have corroborated reports that funds from the agency have been diverted to fund Boko Haram and other terrorists Organizations in Nigeria.
Officials of USAID, who were said to have conducted independent investigations and audits, over the agency humanitarian assistance may not have found the distribution of funds funny. The report of the USAID, in its oversight duties appears to have been very damning.
It was said to have identified its shortcomings and vulnerabilities in the aid distribution mechanisms. This may have informed why the Trump’s Administration has moved to prevent diversion of USAID, aids to designated terrorists Organizations in Gaza Strip, where the state of Israel and the Hamas are currently, at war or Boko Haram ISWAP and Bandits Group including IPOB , ESN, Nigeria and other gerrorists Groups in the Sahel region.
Late January, 2025, the USAID Authorities, were said to have issued a memorandum highlighting challenges and potential ‘’fixes’’ to ensure enhanced accountability of foreign assistance funding, including humanitarian assistance programs funded by the US, Agency but implemented by the United Nations, UN, agencies, in different member nations but that was how far it could go.
The USAID report, identifying abuse of its foreign assistance to targeted countries, but allegedly diverted to terrorists Organizations including Boko Haram, ISWAP and the Bandits Group including IPOB and ESN, in Nigeria may have angered President Donald Trump, who was said to have expressed his dismay and plans of dismantling the agency, which he had said distributes ‘’tens of millions of dollars overseas aid every year with nothing to show for it’’.
Scott Perry, US, Congressman, who may have beamed his searchlight on the USAID operations over the years, may have given the US, Republican party President, the ammunition to dismantle when he confirmed that USAID, actually funds Boko Haram, ISWAP and the Bandits Group, in Nigeria including other terrorists Organization in the Sahel region.
The US, Congressman, who had made the claims during the inaugural hearing of the subcommittee on ‘’delivering on Government Efficiency’’ on Thursday, 14, 2025, titled ‘’The War against Waste: stamping the scourge of improper payments and fraud, was said to have focused on alleged misappropriations of tax payer funds during his presentations.
The lawmaker, may have shocked many, when he revealed that the USAID, funds Boko Haram to the tune of US, $697 m, in Borno, and Yobe states, before it was tended to ISWAP and the Bandits Group including IPOB and ESN, in south eastern Nigeria.
The US, Congress man, perry, was said to have stated further during his presentations during the subcommittee hearing on delivering on government efficiency, that USAID officials, had laced their misappropriations of funds to the diversion of funds to wrong hands and the shipments of additional cash funds to Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, IISIS Khrasan and terrorists Training Groups, across the Sahel region, training camps which found its way back to Boko Haram and other terrorists Organizations in Nigeria.
Describing it as USAID, own way of giving humanitarian aid to third world countries, the Congress subcommittee, which is currently working with President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency to root out waste in USAID, and shore up vulnerable payment systems, had vowed that the Subcommittee members will ‘’ investigate schemes to defraud tax payers’ money in the US’’.
The revelation of the US, Lawmaker about USAID, the US, foreign aid agency of funding Boko Haran and other terrorists Organizations in the Sahel region is a clear indication that the US, Government, have no hiding place any longer of denying any involvement in funding terrorism outfits in Nigeria, particular.
As a prelude to dismantling the fraudulent USAID, foreign Aid assistance, the US, President, Trump, was said to have announced huge cuts to the agency’s workforce across the world and the immediate suspension of almost all of its aid programs.
The Trump’s Administration, which could no longer bear the criticisms being levelled against US, Government, epitomized by USAID was said to have further announced a 90-day freeze on funding for its aid projects as it undertakes a review of their operations to ensure that they align with the Administration’s program and priorities.
The Us President, who had been a long -term critic of overseas spending and who believes in his ‘’American First strategy’’ could take the bold initiative, which security experts had said will deal a decisive blow on Boko Haram, ISWAP, Bandits Group and other Terrorist Organizations within the Sahel region.
Recall that President Trump, had targeted USAID, in one of his most recent circulars, in which he had criticized agency’s spending, describing it as ‘’unexplainable ‘’. The US, President, who could not hide his feelings was said to have singled out certain projects that that had been embarked upon over the years by USAID, which was said to have resulted in wasting tax payers’ money.
Although Health experts are not happy over the action that had been taken by President Trump against USAID, stressing that the withdrawal of foreign aid to third world countries because of the shortcomings of the discredited agency. The health workers had sounded it loud and clear, that President Trump’s decision will aggravate the spread of communicable disease as well as delay the development of vaccines and new treatments as because of the cuts in the funding of the agency.
Until, Trump’s Administration applied the sledge hammer against USID, much damage appears to have been done to Borno and Yobe states by BokoHaram and ISWAP terrorists Organizations with funds diverted from the US, aid agency which are grabbed by them to procure arms and ammunitions.
The situation appears to be more worrisome in the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kaduna and Katsina, and north central state of Niger, where there is on gong raging battle between the military special forces and the various Bandits gangs operating in the two regions.
Adekunle Ariyibi, an Army Maj. Gen. and Chief of Defence Standards and Evaluations at the Defence Headquarters , DHQ,who may have spoken the mind of the CDS, on Channels Television ‘’The Morning Brief, on Monday, February 18, 2025, had alluded to the fact that Boko Haram and the ISWAP Groups, which had continuously received aid assistance from the USAID, over the years, is one of the reasons why war against terrorism operations by past and present Administrations may not have achieved the desired the result.
The Army Maj. Gen. had corroborated what the CDS, had repeatedly said at every given opportunity that terrorism and banditry operations could not have been sustained all these past 15 years Nigeria without ‘’external collaboration and financial assistance’’.
Appearing on the Channels Television Morning Brief, the DHQ, Army Chief had said that the operations of Boko Haram and ISWAP, particular, had expanded that much over the years because of their allegiance to ISIS, which was said to have exposed the two deadly terrorists’ groups operating in Nigeria to international funds which are said to be beyond the shores of Nigeria.
He was said to have stated clearly on the Chanel Television, The Maj. Ariyibi had said that Boko Haram and ISWAP, could beat of their chest of battle readiness and sustainability plans because they are gradually moving into ‘’ the use of surveillance drones and other drones that can deliver lethal weaponry’’ like the Nigerian military.
Many believe that if US, President Trump , should keep to his threat of dismantling USAID, it may signal the collapse of the Boko Haram, ISWAP and other terrorists Organizations in Nigeria including other terror groups in Chad, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Central African country of Cameroun which also receives the aid assistance agency. Bad news for BokoHaram and ISWAP insurgents and the Bandits Group fighters who have keeping bubdles of thousands of US, dollars in their homes.
