The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation have strengthened cooperation to investigate the alleged diversion and mismanagement of funds released for US-supported health programmes in Nigeria.
The development followed a meeting between an FBI delegation led by Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché Macus Maccain and the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Bawa Usman Kaltungo, on Thursday.
Maccain said the engagement was aimed at improving intelligence sharing and operational cooperation over alleged financial irregularities involving organisations that received funds under programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development, particularly HIV and tuberculosis interventions.
He said concerns emerged after the US Government shut down some USAID programmes in 2025, raising questions over funds that remained with organisations implementing the programmes.
Also speaking, FBI Special Agent Jeremy Kennon of the US Department of State’s Office of Inspector General said reviews had uncovered alleged inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano State and other parts of the country.
Kaltungo assured the delegation that the EFCC would investigate the allegations across affected states, trace the movement of the funds and establish their ultimate beneficiaries.
He added that the investigation would determine whether the funds were used for their intended purposes or diverted or mismanaged following the termination of the programmes.
