Aisha Yesufu denies funding from USAID allegations, reaffirms BBOG’s independence
Aisha Yesufu
Civil rights activist and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement, Aisha Yesufu, has firmly dismissed allegations that the group received funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to destabilize the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS Monday night, Yesufu stressed that BBOG is neither an NGO nor a civil society organisation, but a movement of outraged citizens who demanded justice for the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.
Yesufu clarified that BBOG has never accepted external funding, stating that all operations were self-financed by members.
“The BBOG has never ever received anything from anyone. We, the members, decided that we were going to self-fund it. We don’t have bank accounts, we are not registered, so in what way could we be doing business with USAID?”, she asked.
She accused critics of politicizing the movement and failing to show empathy for the abducted girls.
Dismissing claims that BBOG was a political tool to remove Jonathan, Yesufu admitted that she personally worked for his removal due to corruption and incompetence but maintained that the movement itself was never linked to any political agenda.
“Jonathan was clueless and incompetent, but Buhari and Tinubu have also failed Nigeria. The fight was never about politics—it was about demanding accountability.”
She warned that insecurity remains a national crisis, emphasising that any Nigerian could become a victim.
Yesufu reiterated her financial independence, stating: “I have never collected funds from anyone. I have an organisation I fund myself. I have never collected grants or done any contract with the government. If I wasn’t financially independent, I would never have spoken on Nigeria’s issues.”
Her remarks come amid renewed scrutiny of BBOG’s activities, but she remains unapologetic in her fight for justice, vowing that the movement will continue advocating for the remaining abducted schoolgirls.
