The United States says it has comprehensive monitoring and evaluation systems in place to help verify that aid reached its intended recipients, amid allegations of funding terrorists in Nigeria.
In a statement posted on its X handle on Tuesday, the US embassy in Nigeria said the government “condemns the violence and blatant disregard for human life perpetrated by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups in Nigeria and the region”.
“The Secretary of State designated Boko Haram a Foreign Terrorist Organization on November 14, 2013, to block the organization’s assets and fundraising efforts, prosecute individual members, and restrict their travel to the United States,” the statement said.
Last week, Scott Perry, a Republican congressman, alleged that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded terror groups, including Boko Haram, with taxpayer money.
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Perry spoke while backing President Donald Trump’s decision to shutter the agency.
Boko Haram has been active in Nigeria since 2009, while its members have killed thousands of people and displaced millions, especially in the country’s north-eastern region.
Through various projects, USAID has provided humanitarian assistance, stabilisation programmes, and support for persons displaced by the insurgency.
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The congressman’s claims stirred heated debates on social media.
While some Nigerians dismissed Perry’s remarks as conspiracy theories, others knocked the US for fuelling Nigeria’s insecurity under the guise of aid.
The US said it would continue to work with Nigeria and regional partners to counter-terrorism.
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