USAID Fraud: FBI Meets EFCC as Fresh Development Emerges
- The FBI visited the EFCC's Lagos office to request collaboration on investigating funds linked to US government-supported programmes
- The probe will centre on money allocated to HIV and tuberculosis interventions after USAID shut down in 2025
- A US State Department official said reviews uncovered inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano and several other states
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The Federal Bureau of Investigation has formally asked Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to join forces in tracking what US officials described as the mismanagement and diversion of funds tied to American government-backed programmes.
Dele Oyewale, the EFCC's head of media and publicity, confirmed the request in a statement on Friday. He said Marcus Maccain, assistant law enforcement attaché of the FBI, raised the matter in person on Thursday during a visit to the EFCC's Lagos zonal office, where he met with acting zonal director Bawa Kaltungo.
Source: Twitter
Why the FBI is raising concerns now
Maccain told EFCC officials that the visit was meant to deepen cooperation over alleged financial irregularities involving organisations that received money under programmes funded by the United States Agency for International Development. The focus of the investigation, he said, would be funds set aside specifically for HIV and tuberculosis interventions.
He explained that when the US government wound down several USAID programmes in 2025, questions arose about what happened to money that remained in the hands of implementing organisations after the programmes were shut down. Some of those organisations, he said, were suspected of misusing or redirecting the funds before the programmes were formally ended.
Jeremy Kennon, a special agent with the Office of Inspector General at the US Department of State, was also part of the delegation. He said the US and Nigerian governments had previously entered an agreement to support HIV and tuberculosis work in Nigeria, channelling money through organisations that ran treatment centres, including one-stop HIV care facilities.
Kennon said subsequent reviews flagged concerns over inflated budgets and other irregularities in Kano and several other Nigerian states, and noted that similar concerns extended beyond Nigeria.
EFCC commits to full investigation
He said the FBI was looking to build a lasting working relationship with the EFCC, including an arrangement for sharing information in both directions.
Kaltungo received the delegation on behalf of EFCC chairman Ola Olukoyede. He described the partnership between Nigeria and the United States as one with deep roots in law enforcement cooperation and assured the FBI team that the commission would pursue the allegations across every state where the affected organisations operated, tracing how funds moved through to their final recipients.
The Trump administration brought USAID to a close in July 2025, ending more than six decades of global development work carried out under the agency.
See the full statement by the EFCC on X here:
EFCC speaks on NFF leadership changes and financial investigation
Legit.ng earlier reported that the EFCC confirmed its investigation into the N12 billion federal intervention fund would continue despite sweeping leadership changes at the NFF.
NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau resigned on Thursday after nearly four years in office, citing consultations with family and stakeholders.
Gusau's exit followed the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a difficult run for several Nigerian national teams.
Source: Legit.ng
