ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Nigerian Senate has stated that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will not be allowed to continue operations in Nigeria if found guilty of funding terrorism.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, made this declaration during a plenary session on Wednesday.
He emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into the allegations.
“If it is true that USAID has been funding Boko Haram in Nigeria, we have no business allowing them to have offices in Nigeria. So, before we can take decisive steps and also ask for recompense, we must go deeper into the issue”, Akpabio stated.
Vanguard reports that the Senate’s decision follows allegations made by U.S. Congressman Perry Scott, who claimed that USAID has been financing terrorist groups, including Boko Haram, in Nigeria.
In response to the allegation, the Senate summoned key security and intelligence officials to investigate the matter.
The motion for the investigation was raised by Senator Mohammed Ndume (Borno South) under Order 41, citing the devastating impact of terrorism on Nigeria.
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“We must treat this revelation with utmost seriousness. The continued existence of terrorist activities, especially Boko Haram, has caused immeasurable harm to Nigeria. A comprehensive investigation will help clarify how non-state actors have sustained their operations over the years”, Ndume said.
To gather intelligence on the matter, the Senate summoned the heads of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Department of State Services (DSS), and the National Security Adviser (NSA).
Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central), a co-sponsor of the motion, proposed an amendment to ensure that security chiefs first brief the Senate behind closed doors.
He argued that an open debate would not adequately address the seriousness of the allegations.
“At this point, whatever is written here is relevant. However, it is almost impossible to do justice to the issues raised in this motion in an open debate.
“We do not need an elaborate discussion on this matter; we need to be briefed by security agencies first in a closed-door session,” Ningi stated.
He further emphasized the importance of obtaining factual intelligence before making public declarations.
“Let’s focus on one key action inviting the NSA, the DG of NIA, and the DSS for a confidential session with the Senate on this matter. This is their duty; this is what they are funded to do. With the security chiefs’ briefing, we can proceed based on the facts they provide,” he added.
The Senate adopted Ningi’s proposal and scheduled a closed-door session with the intelligence chiefs to gather critical information before making any further public statements or decisions on the matter.