EFCC, FBI Probe USAID Funds Diversion

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have commenced collaboration to investigate alleged diversion and mismanagement of funds released for United States-supported programmes in Nigeria.

The investigation is particularly focused on funds allocated to HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis interventions implemented by various organisations across the country.

The development followed a meeting between officials of both agencies on Thursday, September 10, 2026, when an FBI delegation led by its Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché, Marcus Maccain, visited the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC.

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

Maccain said the engagement was aimed at strengthening law-enforcement cooperation between Nigeria and the United States while examining possible financial irregularities involving organisations that received funding through programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

He said the probe would focus particularly on programmes supporting HIV and tuberculosis interventions, noting that concerns became more pronounced following the suspension and termination of some USAID-funded programmes by the US Government in 2025.

According to him, the termination raised questions about the handling of funds that remained with implementing organisations after the programmes were discontinued.

Maccain said some of the organisations were suspected of mismanaging or diverting funds provided before the programmes were terminated.

He said the FBI was seeking closer cooperation with the EFCC to determine how the funds were managed and establish whether financial misconduct occurred following the termination of the programmes.

Also speaking, Jeremy Kennon, a Special Agent with the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of State, said the United States and Nigeria had entered into funding arrangements to support the fight against HIV and tuberculosis.

Kennon explained that the programmes provided funds to organisations implementing health interventions, including facilities operating one-stop centres for HIV treatment.

He said subsequent reviews had raised concerns over allegedly inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano State and some other states.

Kennon said the US authorities were interested in developing a long-term partnership with the EFCC, including reciprocal intelligence and information sharing.

Responding, Kaltungo assured the delegation that the EFCC would investigate the allegations and trace the movement of the funds across Nigeria.

He said the commission would establish how the funds were spent, identify their ultimate beneficiaries and determine whether they were applied for the purposes for which they were released or diverted after the cancellation of the programmes.

Kaltungo added that the investigation would extend to states where the affected organisations and programmes operated.

The two agencies also agreed to strengthen intelligence sharing and operational cooperation in tracing the funds and establishing the facts surrounding the allegations.

The investigation follows the sweeping review of US foreign assistance initiated by President Donald Trump’s administration in January 2025.

The administration ordered a temporary pause and review of US foreign aid, after which steps were taken to dismantle USAID as a standalone agency. Several programmes were cancelled, while others were transferred to the US Department of State.

The changes had significant implications for global health programmes, including initiatives supporting HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis treatment and prevention.

USAID had been a major channel for US development and health assistance in Nigeria, with several local and international organisations implementing programmes funded by the agency.

The termination of programmes subsequently created questions about funds already disbursed to implementing partners, particularly money that remained unspent or was held by organisations when their programmes were cancelled.

The EFCC/FBI investigation is therefore aimed at determining whether such funds were properly accounted for and used for their approved purposes.

The investigation should, however, be distinguished from routine audits conducted by the USAID Office of Inspector General (OIG). Such audits assess the financial management and compliance of individual implementing organisations and do not, by themselves, establish criminal diversion.

For instance, a July 2026 OIG audit of Georgetown Global Health Nigeria’s management of USAID resources for January to December 2025 reported no questioned costs or funds identified for better use, although the audit made recommendations.

Similarly, an OIG audit of KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation Nigeria covering October 2024 to September 2025 recorded approximately $5.9 million in USAID expenditures. The audit reported no questioned costs or material weaknesses in internal controls, but identified two instances of material noncompliance.

The latest EFCC-FBI engagement is broader, involving efforts to trace USAID-related funds handled by implementing organisations, determine their ultimate use and establish whether any financial misconduct, mismanagement or diversion occurred following the termination of the affected programmes.

The allegations remain subject to investigation, and no organisation has been established by the EFCC or FBI as having diverted the funds at this stage.