The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has approached the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for assistance in investigating the alleged mismanagement and diversion of funds released for United States-backed health programmes in Nigeria.
The investigation is expected to cover organisations that received funds under programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), particularly projects targeting HIV and tuberculosis interventions.
Politics Nigeria gathered that the request was made during a meeting between officials of the FBI and the EFCC in Lagos, as both countries move to deepen cooperation on financial crimes involving international funds.
According to a statement by EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the request was presented by Macus Maccain, Assistant Law Enforcement Attaché of the FBI, during his visit to the office of Bawa Kaltungo, the EFCC Acting Zonal Director in Lagos.Politics
Maccain said the engagement was aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two agencies and assisting investigations into financial irregularities linked to organisations that implemented US-funded programmes in Nigeria.
He explained that the focus would be on funds released before some of the USAID-supported programmes were discontinued.
The FBI official said questions had emerged over how implementing organisations handled money that remained in their possession after the termination of some programmes.
“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.
The investigation comes against the background of the major changes to US foreign aid programmes under the Trump administration, which resulted in the cancellation, suspension or termination of several USAID activities.
Nigeria was among the countries where USAID had supported major health interventions over the years.Executive Branch
The agency worked with government institutions and local and international organisations on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis programmes.
Before the changes to US foreign assistance, USAID said its health programmes in Nigeria had supported HIV testing, treatment and care, while also assisting the country with tuberculosis prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
The United States has also continued to conduct financial audits of organisations that managed USAID resources in Nigeria.
Recent audits listed by the USAID Office of Inspector General include programmes managed by the KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation Nigeria and Georgetown Global Health Nigeria.
These audits have added to scrutiny of how donor-funded programmes were administered and accounted for after funds were released to implementing partners.
Speaking during the meeting, Jeremy Kennon, a Special Agent with the Office of Inspector General of the US Department of State, said the United States and Nigeria had previously reached agreements to fund interventions aimed at tackling HIV and tuberculosis.
According to him, the programmes involved several organisations responsible for delivering healthcare services to Nigerians.
Some of the organisations were involved in establishing one-stop centres where people living with HIV could receive treatment and other related services.
Kennon said reviews of some of the programmes had raised concerns about inflated budgets and other financial irregularities in Kano State and other parts of the country.
He stressed that the concerns were not restricted to Nigeria, but said the FBI and other US authorities were interested in tracing how the funds were handled by organisations involved in the affected programmes.
The US officials also expressed interest in developing a long-term relationship with the EFCC, particularly in the area of information sharing.
Such cooperation could allow investigators in both countries to obtain financial records and other relevant information needed to establish how the funds were spent.
The investigation could also involve tracing transactions from the organisations that received the funds to other beneficiaries or accounts where necessary.
Kaltungo received the delegation on behalf of EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
He described the relationship between Nigeria and the United States as a longstanding one, particularly in the area of law enforcement and the investigation of financial crimes.
Kaltungo assured the visiting officials that the commission would give the matter the required attention.
He said the EFCC would investigate the allegations across the states where the affected organisations operated.
The commission will also seek to establish the movement of the funds and identify their ultimate beneficiaries.