USAID Funds: EFCC, FBI Move To Trace Alleged Diversion In Nigeria

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have agreed to strengthen their partnership in investigating the alleged diversion and misuse of funds provided under programmes supported by the United States Government.

‎The two agencies also agreed to improve intelligence sharing and work more closely to track how the funds were used.

The agreement was reached on Thursday, September 10, 2026, when the Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the FBI, Macus Maccain, led a delegation on a courtesy visit to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, Naija News reports.

The delegation was received by the Acting Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, on behalf of the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.

Speaking during the meeting, Maccain said the visit was aimed at strengthening cooperation between the FBI and EFCC in investigating alleged financial irregularities involving organisations that received funds under programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

He said the investigation would focus mainly on programmes linked to HIV and tuberculosis interventions.

According to him, the issue became a concern after the United States Government shut down some USAID programmes in 2025.

Maccain explained that following the cancellation of the programmes, questions were raised about what happened to funds that were still with some of the organisations implementing the projects.

He said some of the organisations were suspected of either mismanaging or diverting funds they had received before the programmes were stopped.

“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, a Special Agent with the Office of Inspector General, Department of State, Jeremy Kennon, said the United States and Nigerian governments had earlier entered into an agreement to support efforts to fight HIV and tuberculosis.

He explained that the US Department of State and the Nigerian Government provided funds to organisations carrying out the programmes.

According to him, some of the organisations also established one-stop centres where people could receive HIV treatment.

However, Kennon said later reviews raised concerns about inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano State and some other states.

He stressed that the concerns were not limited to Kano or Nigeria, saying similar issues had been discovered in other parts of the world.

Kennon said the FBI wanted to build a long-term working relationship with the EFCC on the investigation.

He added that both sides would share information to help uncover what happened to the funds.

“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 FBI delegation on behalf of Olukoyede and described the relationship between Nigeria and the United States as a long-standing one, especially in the area of law enforcement.

He assured the delegation that the EFCC would investigate allegations of diversion or misuse of USAID funds across the country.

Kaltungo said the commission would also trace the movement of the funds to their final beneficiaries.

He explained that tracking the money would help investigators determine how it was spent and whether it was used for the purpose for which it was provided.

The EFCC official said investigators would also establish whether any part of the funds was mismanaged or diverted after the programmes were cancelled.

Kaltungo further assured the FBI delegation that the investigation would be properly coordinated and would cover all states where the affected organisations and programmes operated.

He said the EFCC would work closely with the FBI to follow the financial trail and establish the facts surrounding the alleged diversion or mismanagement of the funds.