The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has sought the collaboration of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the alleged mismanagement and diversion of funds provided under United States government-supported programmes.
In a statement issued on Friday, Dele Oyewale, EFCC head of
media and publicity, said Macus Maccain, assistant law enforcement attaché of
the FBI, made the request on Thursday during a visit to the office of Bawa
Kaltungo, acting zonal director of the anti-graft agency in Lagos.
Oyedele quoted Maccain as saying that the visit was intended
to strengthen cooperation in investigating 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 specifically on funds
allocated to HIV and tuberculosis interventions.
Maccain said the US government’s shutdown of some USAID
programmes in 2025 raised concerns about funds remaining with implementing
organisations after the programmes were discontinued.
He said some organisations were suspected of mismanaging or
diverting funds provided to them before the 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,” Maccain said.
Also speaking, Jeremy Kennon, special agent, office of
inspector general of the US Department of State, said the US and Nigerian
governments previously entered into an agreement to support HIV and
tuberculosis interventions.
He said the programmes involved funding organisations that
implemented the interventions, including those that established one-stop
centres for HIV treatment.
Kennon said subsequent reviews had uncovered concerns over
inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano and several other
states, adding that the concerns were not limited to Nigeria.
Kennon said the FBI was seeking to establish a long-term
working relationship with the EFCC on the investigation, including reciprocal
information sharing.
Kaltungo welcomed the delegation on behalf of Ola Olukoyede,
EFCC chairman, and described the relationship between Nigeria and the US as
long-standing, particularly in law enforcement cooperation.
He assured the FBI delegation that the commission would
investigate the allegations across all states where the affected organisations
and programmes operated and trace the movement of funds to their ultimate
beneficiaries.
The Trump administration shut down USAID in July 2025,
bringing more than six decades of global development work under the agency to
an end.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com