The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, has denied allegations that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds Boko Haram or any other terrorist organization. Speaking at a meeting with the Nigeria Governors Forum in Abuja on Wednesday night, Mills stated that there is no evidence to support such claims.

The ambassador emphasized that the US has consistently condemned Boko Haram’s activities and assured that if any evidence of funding misuse were found, the US government would work with Nigeria to investigate it.

“There is absolutely no evidence of such diversion, and if we ever had evidence that any program funding was being misused by Boko Haram, we would immediately investigate it with our Nigerian partners,” Mills said.

He reiterated that the US has strict oversight policies to prevent USAID funds or any other US assistance from being diverted to terrorist groups. “We cooperate in investigations with the Nigerian government. I can assure you that we have strict policies and procedures to ensure that USAID funding or any other US assistance, whether from USAID, the Department of Defence, or the State Department, is not diverted to terrorist groups like Boko Haram.”

Mills reaffirmed the US government’s commitment to Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, stating that Washington has been a strong ally in efforts to eliminate Boko Haram. “Let me be clear—there is no friend of Nigeria stronger in condemning Boko Haram’s violence and disregard for human life than the United States. We have designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization since 2013, blocking the group from transferring assets to the US and allowing us to arrest and seize its members.”

The allegations originated from US Congressman Scott Perry, a Republican from Pennsylvania, who made the claims during a congressional hearing on government spending. Perry alleged that USAID’s financial activities have directly benefited terror groups worldwide, including Boko Haram, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS.

He claimed that USAID’s annual budget of $697 million, which includes cash payments to Islamic schools (madrasas), may have inadvertently supported extremist groups. “Who gets some of that money? Your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, and terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding,” Perry stated.