Gen Ariyibi: Boko Haram, ISWAP Clearly Receiving Foreign Funding

Nigerian General Ariyibi asserts that Boko Haram and ISWAP are benefiting from foreign financial support, raising concerns over international backing for terrorism in the region.

Major General Adekunle Ariyibi, the Chief of Defence Standards and Evaluations at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), states that Boko Haram and other terrorist groups receive funding from foreign sources.

Ariyibi remarked on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” that one of the reasons the fight against terrorism has persisted in Nigeria is due to Boko Haram and Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP) receiving support from foreign sources.

“There’s no question that this type of operation couldn’t have been sustainable for the past 15 years without some kind of external collaboration and assistance,” he stated on Monday’s breakfast show.

It’s clear that Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West African Province (ISWAP) have evolved significantly since aligning with ISIS. They now access international funding beyond Nigeria’s borders, evident from the sophisticated weapons they possess. Their advanced sustainability strategies are also apparent as they transition to using drones—not just for surveillance, but also capable of deploying lethal weaponry.

A few days ago, US Congressman Scott Perry made a statement claiming that the now-canceled United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had funded terrorist organizations like Boko Haram.

That comment has persistently influenced discussions in Nigeria and internationally, with General Ariyibi concurring that such terrorist organizations receive support from foreign entities.

“There’s no doubt that this is the lifeline sustaining these operations, beyond what they collect locally through taxes and other means,” argued Major General Ariyibi.

A former Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army stated on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, “It is not merely an allegation; it holds more significance than that. This is why it’s crucial for the Nigerian government and particularly the National Assembly to investigate thoroughly and assess the truthfulness of such a serious claim.”

In 2024, the Federal Government identified certain individuals and Bureau de Change (BDCs) as financiers of terrorism. Previously, authorities in the United Arab Emirates and the US had also frozen assets belonging to some individuals and imposed various sanctions on others due to their connections with terrorism financing.