The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have commenced moves to investigate alleged diversion and mismanagement of funds released under United States government-supported programmes in Nigeria.
Key Highlights
- EFCC and FBI begin joint investigation into alleged diversion of US-supported programme funds in Nigeria.
- Probe focuses on funds linked to HIV and tuberculosis intervention programmes.
- FBI raised concerns over alleged mismanagement and diversion of funds after some USAID-supported programmes were shut down in 2025.
- US investigators cited suspected inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano and other parts of Nigeria.
- EFCC says it will trace the funds to their ultimate beneficiaries and determine how they were spent.
The development follows a meeting between officials of the two agencies on Thursday, September 10, 2026, during a visit by an FBI delegation to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC.
The delegation was led by Marcus Maccain, Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché, FBI, while the acting Zonal Director of the EFCC, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Bawa Kaltungo, received the team on behalf of the commission.
Speaking during the meeting, Maccain said the visit is aimed at strengthening existing cooperation between the two agencies, particularly in intelligence sharing and the investigation of alleged financial irregularities involving organisations that received funding under programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
He said the investigation would focus particularly on organisations involved in HIV and tuberculosis intervention programmes.
According to him, the need for the engagement became more pressing following the shutdown of some USAID-supported programmes by the United States Government in 2025.
The development, he explained, raised questions about the management of funds that remained with some implementing organisations after the programmes were discontinued.
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Maccain said some organisations were suspected of either mismanaging or diverting funds provided to them before the affected programmes were terminated.
“We are seeking stronger engagement with the EFCC to establish how the funds were managed and identify possible financial misconduct arising from the termination of the programmes,” he said.
Also speaking, Jeremy Kennon, a special agent with the Office of Inspector General, United States Department of State, said the US and Nigerian governments have previously entered into an arrangement to support efforts against HIV and tuberculosis.
He explained that funding was provided by the Department of State and the Nigerian government to organisations implementing the programmes, some of which established one-stop centres for HIV treatment.
Kennon, however, said subsequent reviews had raised concerns over inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano State and other parts of Nigeria.
He stressed that the concerns were not restricted to Kano or Nigeria, noting that similar issues had been identified in other parts of the world.
The US investigator expressed the FBI’s interest in establishing a long-term working relationship with the EFCC, particularly through reciprocal intelligence and information sharing.
“We’ll like to work with the EFCC on this on a long-term basis, and we’ll be sharing information with you; not just getting information from you,” Kennon said.
Responding, Kaltungo welcomed the delegation on behalf of EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, and described the relationship between Nigeria and the United States as a longstanding partnership, particularly in the area of law enforcement.
He assured the FBI delegation that the EFCC would investigate the allegations concerning the management and possible diversion of USAID-related funds across the country.
Kaltungo said investigators would trace the movement of the funds to their ultimate beneficiaries to determine how the money was spent and whether it was used for the purposes for which it was provided.
He said the investigation would also establish whether any portion of the funds was mismanaged or diverted following the cancellation of the affected programmes.
The EFCC acting zonal director further assured the delegation that the EFCC investigation would be coordinated across all states where the affected organisations and programmes operated.
He said the commission would work closely with the FBI to follow the financial trail and establish the facts surrounding the allegations.
