ABUJA — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are reportedly moving to investigate the alleged diversion and mismanagement of funds from programmes supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Nigeria.
The development, reported by Parallel Facts News, comes roughly a year after U.S. Congressman Scott Perry alleged that USAID funds had been diverted to support terrorist organisations, including Boko Haram.
According to the report, the latest investigation is focused particularly on funds left with organisations implementing USAID-supported programmes, including interventions in HIV and tuberculosis, with concerns over how such funds were managed after changes surrounding U.S. foreign-aid programmes.
The reported FBI-EFCC development is likely to intensify scrutiny of organisations and institutions that handled American assistance in Nigeria, particularly where questions arise over whether funds reached their intended beneficiaries.
Perry’s controversial allegation
The controversy dates back to February 2025, when Republican Congressman Scott Perry accused USAID of funding Boko Haram and other terrorist organisations during a congressional hearing on the agency.
Perry’s allegation generated considerable controversy because he did not publicly provide evidence substantiating the claim. Nigeria’s then-U.S. Ambassador Richard Mills subsequently rejected the allegation, saying there was “absolutely no evidence” that USAID had funded Boko Haram.
The U.S. congressman’s claim nevertheless triggered demands for an investigation, with Nigerian lawmakers also moving to examine organisations and programmes receiving USAID funding. Reuters reported in March 2025 that Nigerian lawmakers were investigating USAID-funded non-profit organisations.
It is therefore important to distinguish between Perry’s unsubstantiated allegation that USAID funded terrorism and the current reported investigation into the alleged diversion or mismanagement of USAID programme funds. They are related in the chronology of the controversy but are not, on the evidence presently available, proof of the same allegation.
Questions over accountability
The reported investigation raises broader questions about financial accountability within Nigeria’s development and humanitarian sector, particularly concerning billions of naira and foreign currency channelled through implementing partners for healthcare and other social programmes.
Investigators would be expected to establish how much money was received, which organisations received it, what programmes were funded, whether the projects were actually implemented and whether any portion of the funds was diverted from their designated purposes.
The inquiry could also provide an opportunity to separate legitimate concerns about financial management from politically charged allegations that have circulated since the USAID controversy erupted in Washington.
For Nigeria, the central issue remains accountability: foreign assistance intended for vulnerable Nigerians must reach its intended beneficiaries, while any individual or organisation found to have diverted such resources should face appropriate legal consequences.
The reported FBI-EFCC probe, if formally confirmed by the agencies, could consequently become a significant test of both Nigerian and U.S. oversight of development assistance in the country.
