Aisha Yesufu: Bring Back Our Girls Movement Is Completely Self-Funded, No Connection With USAID

Civil rights activist and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, Aisha Yesufu, has strongly denied allegations that the movement was being funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Recall that a Nigerian journalist, David Hundeyin, accused the group of receiving money from USAID to “bring down former Goodluck Jonathan’s administration”.

Speaking in an interview on ARISE NEWS on Monday night, Yesufu emphasised that BBOG is not an NGO or a civil society organisation but rather a movement of concerned citizens who were outraged by the abduction of schoolgirls in Chibok.

“The Bring Back Our Girls movement is not an NGO, neither is it a civil society organization. It is a movement of people who got tired and were angry that girls that were going to school were taken away,” Yesufu stated.

She noted that despite widespread skepticism and denial at the time, recent developments have led more people to acknowledge the reality of the abduction. According to Yesufu, the movement has never received any external funding and has been sustained through the contributions of its members.

“The BBOG has never ever received anything from anyone. We, the members, decided that we were going to self-fund it. We put our empathy on the line, we put our humanity in, whatever we need, we use our own money to do it. If you are not a member, nobody collects anything from you. All these allegations of us being paid or sponsored have been going on for 11 years. We don’t have bank accounts, we are not registered, so in what way could we be doing business with USAID?” she asked.

Yesufu also criticised Nigerians who have shown a lack of empathy for the abducted girls and those who have sought to politicise the movement. She pointed out that at the time of the Chibok abduction, Borno State was under a state of emergency, meaning the military had significant control over security matters.

“When we were making demands for the Chibok girls, which we are still doing for the rest that are still not back home, we were not doing them a favor. It is not a privilege. It is their right as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Nigeria failed them by allowing them to be abducted and the next thing was to bring them back immediately, which they didn’t do,” she said.

She further dismissed claims that the movement was orchestrated to remove former President Goodluck Jonathan from office, describing him as “clueless and incompetent” and adding that she actively worked towards his removal due to corruption and mismanagement. However, she also criticised the successive administrations of Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu for their failures.

“People say it was political, saying it was done to remove the then-president Jonathan. Really? People died, and Jonathan was busy doing his shenanigans. PDP served for 60 years. They left children to die. There is nothing that connects USAID and BBOG. The movement had nothing to do with Jonathan. But I, Aisha Yesufu, wanted Jonathan to be removed because he was clueless, incompetent, he had failed, there was so much corruption, Nigeria was borrowing money to pay salaries, we were going through so much, and I worked towards it, and I do not owe anybody an apology,” she asserted.

Yesufu expressed disappointment that Nigerians have not held their leaders accountable and continue to allow poor governance. She warned that insecurity remains a serious threat and that anyone could become a victim of abduction.

“Some of the people who said there was no Chibok girls’ abduction, some of them have paid ransom, unfortunately, some of them have died. Every one of us is a victim waiting to happen. My question now is, who is next?” she asked.

Reaffirming her financial independence, Yesufu clarified that she has never accepted grants, contracts, or funds from any government or external entity.

“I have never collected funds from anyone, I have an organization I fund myself, I have never collected grants nor done any contract with the government, I am a businesswoman. If I wasn’t financially independent, I would never have spoken on Nigeria’s issues,” she concluded.

Her remarks come amid renewed scrutiny and allegations surrounding BBOG’s funding, but Yesufu remains steadfast in her commitment to the cause and insists the movement will continue its advocacy for the return of the remaining abducted girls.

Chioma Kalu

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