Nyesom Wike
By Victory Oghene
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), may be prosecuted in the United States of America following allegations that he secretly acquired a $2 million mansion in Florida, United States, through questionable financial dealings.
The claims were made by activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, who insisted that Wike may have violated Florida State anti-money laundering laws.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sowore alleged that the FCT minister bought the luxury property in cash but attempted to obscure ownership by registering it in the names of his wife, Justice Eberechi Wike, a serving judge of the Court of Appeal, and their children Joaquin, Jazmyne, and Jordan.
According to him, this amounted to property trafficking and money laundering under Florida Statute § 812.019, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
“The FCT Minister is about to find out in a very hard way,” Sowore wrote, while urging Florida’s Attorney General, Ashley Moody, to open an investigation.
The controversy deepened after West Africa Weekly published U.S. public records showing that Wike had discreetly purchased the residence at 113 Spring Creek Lane, Winter Springs, Florida, in March 2025.
The two-storey building, constructed in 1997, sits on a 4,076-square-foot lot. Records reportedly confirm that Wike’s name was deliberately excluded from the paperwork with ownership documents reflecting only his wife and children.
Analysts argue this was an attempt to evade asset disclosure laws in Nigeria and conceal the source of funding.
The revelation has fueled outrage across Nigeria, given the disparity between the property’s cost and the official emoluments of a cabinet minister.
Available records indicate that a Nigerian minister’s annual salary and allowances are roughly ₦7.8 million (about $5,000) — far below the financial threshold to afford a $2 million foreign property.
Critics say the acquisition raises questions not only about accountability but also about the broader issue of public officials using foreign assets to allegedly launder illicit wealth.
As of press time, neither Wike nor the Federal Government of Nigeria had publicly responded to the allegations. Similarly, the Florida Attorney General’s office has yet to confirm whether an investigation has been initiated.
