Nigeria’s former Minister of External Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi, has alleged that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) played a role in equipping and financing Boko Haram, the terrorist group responsible for years of violence in Nigeria.
Akinyemi made the explosive claim during an interview with newsmen, linking recent revelations by a U.S. congressman to longstanding suspicions about foreign involvement in the insurgency.
His remarks come in the wake of a statement by Scott Perry, a U.S. congressman, who named Boko Haram among terrorist groups that had allegedly received support from USAID through U.S. taxpayer funds. Perry’s disclosure, made during a congressional hearing last week, has sparked outrage in Nigeria, with Senator Ali Ndume calling for a full investigation.
Akinyemi, who currently serves as the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), revealed that during his time on a special committee on Boko Haram, villagers in conflict zones repeatedly reported seeing helicopters piloted by “white men” delivering weapons and money to insurgents under the cover of darkness.
“Villagers kept telling us that in the middle of the night, helicopters piloted by white people kept landing and offloading guns, goods, and money to these people. Now, villagers didn’t even know who these people were. And they had no reason to lie to us,” Akinyemi stated.
He added that at the time, members of the committee suspected that French operatives were behind the covert airlifts. However, Perry’s recent claims suggested that the U.S. government itself was complicit in the alleged arms drops, a revelation Akinyemi believes was part of a broader strategy to destabilize Nigeria.
Allegations of U.S. Interference
Akinyemi further pointed to the Obama administration’s refusal to sell weapons to Nigeria under the pretext of human rights violations in the country’s handling of Boko Haram. He recalled an instance where Nigeria attempted to procure arms from South Africa, only for the deal to be sabotaged—a move he suggested was orchestrated by a foreign power with intelligence access.
“Who tipped off the South Africans? It wasn’t Nigeria. You’d have to conclude it was a power with access to intelligence,” he said.
The former minister also claimed that Boko Haram had infiltrated Nigeria’s military, revealing that some soldiers had reported incidents where they were ordered to stand down despite having terrorists in their sights.
“There were times when our boys would have Boko Haram fighters in their sights and request permission to fire, only for their superior officers to tell them to pull back. That shows the extent of penetration and destabilization of our security forces,” he alleged.
Akinyemi stopped short of naming Nigerian officials he believed were complicit but hinted at high-level political figures who engaged with U.S. State Department and White House officials at the time.
He also questioned why Hillary Clinton and John Kerry had reportedly traveled to parts of Nigeria for political meetings while bypassing Abuja, the country’s capital.
Calls for Investigation
The revelations have reignited demands for an in-depth probe into foreign interference in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism. Senator Ali Ndume has urged the government to take Perry’s claims seriously and examine the extent of USAID’s involvement in the country’s security crisis.
While the U.S. government has yet to officially respond, the allegations mark a significant escalation in accusations of external manipulation of Nigeria’s security challenges.
