Ogebe who obtained US sanctions against Boko Haram petitions DOJ to investigate Congressman Perry’s claim that US ambassador has refuted
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
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“The U.S. government takes terrorism seriously and offered a $7 million reward for the capture of Boko Haram’s leaders. The US ambassador has already denied Rep Perry’s crass falsehoods.
“I hope you will quickly investigate Perry’s unsubstantiated claim regarding Boko Haram before anyone gets hurt. Free speech or political puffery is not worth putting Americans lives at risk abroad” – Ogebe.
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Emmanuel Ogebe has written to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the claim by Congressman Scott Perry that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds terror group Boko Haram, an allegation United States Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Mills has since refuted.
Ogebe, a Nigerian American international human rights lawyer based in Washington, told the DOJ that Perry’s false assertion puts at risk the lives of American diplomats, Christians, and aid workers.
In the letter, a copy of which he sent to TheNiche, Ogebe recounted some of the efforts he has made over the years to tackle Boko Haram, including obtaining sanctions US sanctions against the Islamist jihadists.
He also cited how he has travelled “with multiple US congressional delegations to Nigeria on fact-finding missions over the years” – all of which burnish his credential as an expert on Boko Haram activities to know that what Perry said is not true.
The letter is reproduced below:
Edward R. Martin, Jr.
United States Attorney
District of Columbia
U.S. Department of Justice
Patrick Henry Building
601 D Street. N.W.
Washington DC: 20563
Dear US Attorney Edward Martin Jnr,
I write to draw your urgent attention to a matter that poses imminent danger to the safety and security of Americans abroad.
I was shocked to see comments by Congressman Scott Perry, that USAID is funding ISIS and Boko Haram terrorism in Nigeria, as the topmost global expert on Nigerian terrorism to work with the U.S. Congress for President Obama’s designation of Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on November 13, 2013 – as also sought by (recent Deputy Attorney General) Lisa Monaco.
Not only did I testify in Congress before the designation but I testified after the FTO as well to report to Congress that Turkish Airlines should be investigated after we obtained evidence of a cockpit recording where Turk pilots discussed arms smuggling into Nigeria.
In addition, I traveled with multiple US congressional delegations to Nigeria on fact-finding missions over the years.
It is therefore deeply disturbing that in Congress last week United States lawmaker, Scott Perry, said: “Who gets some of that money? Because your money, $697 million annually, plus the shipments of cash funds in Madrasas, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, ISIS Khorasan, terrorist training camps. That’s what it’s funding.”
This statement claiming USAID funds Boko Haram terrorists has sent shockwaves through Nigeria and elicited targeting of innocent Christians and aid workers and further endangered hundreds of American diplomats in one of the largest U.S. embassies in the world.
In 2022, my humanitarian team evacuated the country along with hundreds of American diplomats and their families after a bomb was planted in a U.S. embassy compound in Abuja by Islamist terrorists.
FBI agents from your department flew to Nigeria and after confirming that it was a viable explosive requested the ORDERED-DEPARTURE of the embassy staff for only the second time in history – the first being the Biafra civil war. Nigeria is a state department level four threat post for hardship/hazard.
Making false and unfounded allegations, right after Musk’s admission that USAID’s $50 million condoms used for bombings by Hamas terrorists was untrue, would be highly irresponsible and jeopardizes the security of American diplomats and other innocents in the terror-plagued countries.
If it is true, I am sure you agree that the United States must speedily work to plug any taxpayer funds to terrorists who hate and have attacked Americans including an FBI Legal Attache from your Department bombed in Abuja in 2011.
The U.S. government takes terrorism seriously and offered a $7 million reward for the capture of Boko Haram’s leaders. The US ambassador has already denied Rep Perry’s crass falsehoods.
I hope you will quickly investigate Perry’s unsubstantiated claim regarding Boko Haram before anyone gets hurt. Free speech or political puffery is not worth putting Americans lives at risk abroad.
I trust you will treat as promptly this inquiry into Rep Perry’s remarks in Congress as you did Rep Rob Garcia’s TV interview. If that is considered a threat to an unelected individual, how much more the threat posed to thousands of American officials worldwide?
I look forward to your urgent intervention.
Emmanuel Ogebe
Special Counsel
Justice for Jos Project
Seeking to end impunity in the Nigerian Genocide
Read also:
US Ambassador agrees with Ogebe, says no evidence USAID funds Boko Haram
