Despite verifiable evidence of monumental graft and sleaze against him, former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, remains untouchable, as the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration continues to maintain a loud silence over clamours from within and outside the country to investigate the minister for alleged money laundering and property acquisitions that negate the principles of accountability and due process
By Edu Abade
In the estimation of most Nigerians, former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike is now the face of the numerous conmen who purportedly populate what has become the highly scandalized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government. He is rude, arrogant and offensive as he is irritatingly loquacious and excessively boastful.
No doubt, as a former Governor of the oil-rich Rivers State for eight years, he is also a man of stupendous wealth, not on account of hard work, but because of what has been identified as the massive looting from Nigeria’s common pause, both in his home state and the national coffers.
Wike, the strongman of Rivers, typifies the average Nigerian corrupt politician who is shielded from investigation and prosecution in spite of mounting evidence of graft and official sleaze, particularly in the present administration.
Since 1999 till date, many of his type have had no other job besides looting the public purse in the garb of political leadership, which has left Nigeria extremely impoverished and the poverty capital of the whole world.
Wike’s offenses include: Pocketing Judges; Rape of Rivers State; $300 million Ogoniland clean-up fund which Wike used for building supermarkets; Abuja land scandal; Rigging Rivers State election in 2023 for Tinubu and Fubara; US houses; Ownership of bulletproof Rolls Royce; Membership of APC and PDP; as well as failure to declare his assets and illicit land acquisitions in the FCT.
With all his grandstanding and powerful posture, political pundits believe that Wike’s fall is imminent, thanks to the array of criticisms and calls for the investigation of his alleged involvement in property acquisitions that defy all known principles of accountability and due process.
Top on the list of those calling for his head are the United Kingdom (UK) investigator, Henry Omorere, who seeks a probe into Wike’s alleged $6m Florida, United States (U.S.) property deals, the Conference of Professionals in the People’s Democratic Party (CP-PDP) and activist Omoyele Sowore, among others, who argued that if the President means well for his anti-corruption fight, he must commence investigation of Wike’s activities in the FCT and even outside the country.
To that extent, Omorere, a UK-based digital forensic expert and investigator, petitioned the Attorney General of Florida, United States, over Wike and his family members’ alleged acquisition of multimillion-dollar mansions in the state.
Omorere, who is affiliated to Teesside University, described himself in the petition as “a concerned global citizen and an advocate for transparency and the rule of law,” stressing that the case is of significant public interest.
In the petition dated September 21, 2025 and addressed to Florida’s Attorney General, Hon. James Uthmeier and copied to the Florida Supreme Court and the Director of the Public Information Office, he alleged that Wike has been involved in multiple cases of money laundering, public corruption and possible violations of U.S. and Nigerian laws.
The petition referenced media investigations and reports from SaharaReporters, BusinessDay and Peoples Gazette, alongside public statements by Sowore, as the basis for seeking official action.
According to Omorere, Wike, who earns an estimated annual salary of about $5,000 as a Nigerian public official, allegedly used his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzette Nyesom-Wike of the Appeal Court of Nigeria and their three children-Jordan, Joaquin, and Jazmyne-to acquire properties worth over $6 million in Winter Springs, Florida.
The petition listed three properties: A $2 million mansion at 113 Spring Creek Lane, which was purchased in March 2025, another property at 209 Hertherwood Court acquired in July 2021 for $459,157 and reportedly transferred to his son, Joaquin and another residence at 208 Hertherwood Court purchased in September 2023 for $465,000 and transferred to his daughter, Jazmyne.
Omorere alleged that the transactions were executed through opaque all-cash payments and quitclaim deeds signed by Mrs. Nyesom-Wike, deliberately excluding Wike’s name to avoid scrutiny and breach Nigeria’s asset declaration laws.
The petition argued that the pattern of acquisitions may constitute first-degree felonies under Florida law and violations of the U.S. Money Laundering Control Act.
Omorere noted that Sowore had also lodged a formal petition to the Florida Attorney General’s office around September 20, 2025, regarding the same matter.
Highlighting the international significance of the case, Omorere referenced past U.S.-Nigeria collaborations in asset recovery, particularly the recent return of $52.88 million to Nigeria.
He argued that holding foreign officials accountable in the U.S. is critical to ensuring that America does not serve as a safe haven for proceeds of corruption.
The reports indicated that “These acquisitions were structured through opaque all-cash transactions and quitclaim deeds executed by Mrs. Nyesom Wike, deliberately omitting Wike’s name from the paperwork to evade scrutiny.
“This case presents another critical opportunity to uphold the principles of justice and demonstrate that the U.S. financial system is not a safe haven for the proceeds of foreign corruption,” Omorrere said.
As of press time, the Florida Attorney General’s office was yet to respond.
Also, the Conference of Professionals in the Peoples Democratic Party (CP-PDP) has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to redeem the image of the nation by investigating and possibly sacking Wike over his alleged involvement in the alleged acquisition of multimillion-dollar property for his children in Florida, United States.
In a statement by its Acting National Coordinator, Obinna Nwachukwu, it said, “After a thorough review of the allegations which are already in the public domain, the Conference at the end of its Policy Review Roundtable in Abuja on Wednesday September 24th 2025, urges President Tinubu to sanitize his cabinet by immediately suspending Chief Wike from office and ordering a forensic investigation into the allegation.”
The CP-PDP insisted that Wike should face investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for allegedly using his wife, Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike as a conduit pipe to fraudulently acquire the multimillion-dollar property.
“Such accusation against Wike under whose watch the FCT Ministry is embroiled in allegations of massive treasury looting, abuse of financial regulations, land grabbing, reckless spending and brazen corruption is too heavy to be swept under the carpet.
“This is in addition to allegations of duplicitous allocation of land running into thousands of hectares to certain members of his family in the Asokoro, Maitama, Guzape and other expensive Districts of Abuja,” the CP-PDP said.
The PDP Professionals also held that “With such weighty allegations, Chief Wike has lost the moral rectitude to continue to hold office as the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which requires utmost integrity and uprightness.
“This is especially as the FCT Minister has not been forthcoming on the source and flow of the fund for the purchase of the said property and various other lavish acquisitions linked to him. Instead, he continues to grandstand with distasteful flaunting of lavish lifestyle as if he is above the law,” the PDP Professionals said.
The PDP professionals cautioned that such attitude to the sensibilities of citizens is a recipe for social unrest in the country if not immediately checked insisting that failure or delay to investigate or sack Wike over his alleged malfeasance as Minister constituted a huge smear on the image of the nation and will further validate public assertion that the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration condones and offers official protection for corruption.
Against this backdrop, CP-PDP demanded that the National Judicial Council (NJC) should redeem the image of the bench by immediately investigating Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike over the allegations.
In the same vein, the Conference demanded that the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) should investigate the report of the Peoples Gazette, which first reported the issue on September 1, revealed that Wike and his wife, Justice Eberechi Nyesom-Wike of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal, allegedly acquired three luxury homes in Seminole County between 2021 and 2023.
On his part, Human rights activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has disclosed that a petition has been dispatched to the Attorney General of the State of Florida over properties Wike allegedly acquired in the United States.
Adeyanju revealed in a statement that the petition was filed on behalf of Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 presidential election, who has vowed to pursue the Wike case to a logical conclusion, noting that the move was part of ongoing efforts to ensure accountability and transparency regarding the alleged properties linked to Wike.
Adeyanju said the petition was submitted to the United States Embassy in Nigeria on Thursday, September 25, 2025 before being transmitted to relevant authorities in Florida for further action, adding that the petition seeks a thorough investigation into the ownership and source of funds used to acquire the properties.
“The petition on behalf of Omoyele Sowore to the Attorney General of the State of Florida regarding properties unlawfully acquired in Florida by Nyesom Wike has been dispatched to the US and was submitted yesterday at the US Embassy as well,” it stated.
He further explained that the step was not politically motivated, but was aimed at upholding the principles of justice, stressing that Nigerians deserved to know the truth about public officials’ assets both locally and abroad.
Adeyanju also hinted that more legal and diplomatic actions were in the works to pursue the matter, adding that his team was committed to ensuring the allegations were not swept under the carpet.
The development came amid growing public scrutiny of Nigerian politicians and their alleged foreign assets, with activists and civil society groups intensifying calls for greater transparency and accountability in governance.
The petitioner argued that Wike’s legitimate income as a public servant from 1999 till date could not sustain such multi-million- dollar acquisitions, further arguing that the transactions violated both the Florida State law and U.S. federal anti-money laundering statutes, specifically citing the Florida Money Laundering Act (Chapter 896.101 Fla State), the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act and the federal laws under 18 U.S.C. SS 1956 and 1957.
It also cited the U.S. Department of Justice Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative (KARI), which targets assets linked to corrupt foreign officials. In June 2025, the Peoples Gazette started a series of reports, accusing Wike of abusing his office by allocating sprawling hectares of Abuja’s most juicy and valuable lands to his son, Joaquin Wike. This was revealed in an exclusive report, which cited sources and official documents to support Wike’s staggering abuse of power orchestrated by the FCT Minister, further revealing that since assuming office in August 2023, he (Wike) had signed off over 2,000 hectares of prime real estates to his son and cronies.
It also revealed that to achieve this, the minister bypassed regulations and skipped payments of critical fees contrary to the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the principles of service ethics.
The Peoples Gazette further stated that these allocations spanned some of Abuja’s most exclusive districts, including Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, Bwari and Gaduwa, which amount to roughly 2,082 hectares or about 40,000 plots with an estimated market value of $3.6 billion.
In spite of the weighty allegations, the ruling APC thinks otherwise, arguing that Sowore was only interested in inciting Nigerians against the President Tinubu-led government, just as the Rivers State chapter of the party called on the Federal Government to take a decisive stance against Sowore.
The APC said Sowore’s recent comments against President Tinubu and the Minister were mere vituperations meant to undermine the integrity of the country.
Chairman of APC in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha, said in a statement that spreading falsehood with the intention to defame others was unacceptable, insisting that Sowore was attempting to incite Nigerians against the government.
“Attempting to incite Nigerians against the government with the crudity of style is treasonable felony.
Any action capable of undermining public trust and potent enough to threaten Nigeria’s democracy, stemming from malice, is unacceptable. Sowore has built his career on “deliberate lies, propaganda and defamation disguised as activist. This is exactly what Omoyele Sowore, publisher of SaharaReporters, has perfected over the years,” he said.
Speaking further, Okocha said Sowore’s platform was notorious for publishing fabricated stories and half-truths, often used as tools for blackmail and extortion. “These baseless allegations are nothing more than the bitter ranting of a man rejected at the polls and drowning in political irrelevance.”
In July, the minister was also accused of allocating prime Abuja lands to his family members and friends.
In another worrisome development, Wike as Minister of the FCT, has been indicted for signing no fewer than 33 approvals for land allocations to his family members and friends, including his 90-year-old father, Joshua Nlemanya Wike, who received a plot of land in Guzape II worth N400 million.
The allocations, which were made on July 16, 2025, also included lands for Wike’s paternal cousin, Believe Wike; his nephews: Victor Wike and Henry Wike; Cousin, Enwusonye Promise Wike and James Hunwo, who received individual allocations on the same day.
In April 2025, reports revealed that six of his family members, including his brothers and sisters, were allocated lands in Guzape II.
The beneficiaries are Vincent Ejike Wike, Chidi Sam Wike, Chituru Wike, Christian Ibebulachi Wike, Collins Ngeme Wike and Emmanuel Okanwene Wike.
As the pressure mounts, Wike has denied U.S. property allegations after initially admitting that the U.S. mansion was acquired in his son’ Jordan s name several months after Sowore petitioned the attorney general of Florida, calling for the forfeiture of the alleged assets, prosecution of those involved and the imposition of a visa ban on Wike.
Sowore had alleged that a property located at 113 Spring Creek Lane, Winter Springs, Florida, was purchased by the minister in March and registered in the names of his children, Joaquin, Jazmyne and Jordan, together with his wife, Justice Eberechi Wike, a serving judge.
The claims have also prompted some groups to call on President Tinubu and the EFCC to investigate the matter.
But reacting in an interview, Wike’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, said the minister has already spoken publicly on the matter and that the minister remains unbothered over the accusations.
“The minister has nothing to hide. He said the properties belong to his in-laws who are citizens of America. His in-laws willed the properties to his wife, who is also an American citizen. The wife now willed the property to her children. The children too are Americans,” Olayinka said.
He added that property records being circulated are public documents that can be accessed online and dismissed videos of a hotel in Port Harcourt linked to Wike as old information.
Olayinka also accused Sowore of running a protest-driven business enterprise, alleging that he is being sponsored by political interests opposed to Wike’s role in the Tinubu administration.
The allegation that Wike acquired a property in the name of his son Jordan, sparked public debate and calls for investigation, but the minister dismissed it as false.
He maintained that the minister remains focused on his assignment in the FCT. “The minister is not distracted at all. He is focused on the task given to him by the President and Nigerians are seeing the work he is doing in the FCT,” he said.
But Sowore has vowed that he and those calling for a probe or outright sack of Wike will not stop until justice is done or seem to have been done on the matter.
They added another critical dimension just as they accused Wike of diverting $300 Million (an equivalent of N450 Billion in prevailing exchange rate) meant for the remediation and development of Ogoniland into private commercial projects, including the construction of a chain of supermarkets in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital named HyperCity Supermarkets.
Sowore, who claimed that the alleged diversion was documented in a report presented by an Ogoni delegation to the Presidential Villa, Abuja recently, described the act as part of a broader pattern of “unprecedented looting, killings and destruction” allegedly perpetrated by the minister and vowed to continue pushing for accountability and due diligence by public office holders across the country.
“The revelation is that Wike diverted $300 million earmarked for Ogoniland’s remediation and development. Reports indicate that Wike funneled the funds into constructing HyperCity Supermarkets in Port Harcourt. We will not stop until Wike is brought to justice or justice is brought to him for the unprecedented looting, killings, and destruction he has wrought on Nigerians across board,” he stated.
Sowore’s post reignited calls from civil society groups and Ogoni leaders for a full investigation into how funds earmarked for Ogoniland’s recovery, remediation and total cleanup were managed.
As things stand, the Tinubu-led administration will have to redeem its image by taking the bull by the horn, either by instituting a full-scale investigation into the allegations against the FCT Minister or even asking him to step aside until investigations are concluded. Nigerians are watching whether or not the Federal Government means well in its avowed fight against corruption in the country. It should also be remembered that posterity will also judge all past, present and future political actors in the country.
