BY ZARA ABDULRAHMAN, FEBRUARY 17, 2025 | 11:58 AM

A United States Congressman, Scott Perry, has made a revelation that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funded Boko Haram and other terrorists group to the tune of $697 million annually.

This was reported by THISDAY Live on February 15, 2025.

Recall, few weeks ago, the US President, Donald Trump had suspended USAID and other US aid programmes accusing them of corruption.

While the allegation of funding terrorist organisations is troubling, what's equally concerning is the potential misuse of funds intended to support women's empowerment programs.

Specifically, Perry questioned the allocation of $60 million annually for the Women's Scholarship Endowment and $5 million annually for the Young Women Lead program, suggesting that these funds may be supporting terrorism instead of empowering women.

This is particularly troubling, given the importance of education and leadership opportunities for women in promoting gender equality and combating extremism.

If true, the allegations would indicate a gross misappropriation of funds and a failure to prioritize the needs and well-being of women and girls.

Perry also alleged that USAID's reported funding of $136 million for building 120 schools in Pakistan has yielded 'zero evidence' of the schools' construction.

According to the report, Perry made these assertions during a hearing of the subcommittee on delivering on government efficiency, citing alleged misappropriations of taxpayer funds.

The allegations have sparked concerns about the misuse of taxpayer funds and the potential support of terrorist activities.

Reacting to this troubling disclosure, a former Director, Department of State Service (DSS), Mike Ejiofor, said this was not a surprise, as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) had in the past also alleged that international non-governmental organisations were surreptitiously collaborating with terrorists in Nigeria.

Ejiofor stressed the need for further interrogation of the subject matter by the National Assembly and the security agencies to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the grievous allegation.

An international affairs analyst, Dr. Ambrose Igboke, alleged that some developed countries fund crisis around the world to orchestrate regime change or for other purposes such as economic interest.