NIGERIA: Sowore Petitions Florida Attorney General Over Wike’s Alleged U S Properties

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

Human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has petitioned the Attorney General of Florida, Hon James Uthmeier, seeking the forfeiture and prosecution of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over alleged illicit property acquisitions in the United States.

In the petition dated September 22, 2025, and signed by his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, Sowore alleged that Wike, a former Rivers State governor, secretly purchased multi million dollar real estate in Winter Springs, Seminole County, Florida, through suspicious cash transactions designed to conceal the source of funds.

The petition stated that Wike and his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom Wike of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal, acquired three lakeside properties between July 2021 and September 2023 valued at more than six million dollars.

The properties were later transferred through quit claim deeds to their children Jordan, Joaquin, and Jazmyne Wike.

One of the properties, located at 113 Springcreek Lane, Winter Springs, was purchased in cash for five hundred and thirty five thousand dollars and transferred to Jordan.

Another, a 3,401 square foot home at 209 Hertherwood Court, Winter Springs, was acquired for four hundred and fifty nine thousand one hundred and fifty seven dollars and transferred to Joaquin.

The third property, a 3,901 square foot residence at 208 Hertherwood Court, Winter Springs, was bought for four hundred and sixty five thousand dollars and transferred to Jazmyne.

Adeyanju argued that the cash only transactions bypassed financial oversight and raised serious money laundering concerns, noting that Wike’s legitimate income as a public servant since 1999 could not sustain such acquisitions.

The petition also accused Wike of failing to declare the foreign assets to Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau as required by law.

Sowore’s lawyers further claimed that the transactions violated both Florida and U S statutes, citing the Florida Money Laundering Act, the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act, and federal laws under 18 U S C sections 1956 and 1957.

He also invoked the U S Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, which targets assets acquired by corrupt foreign officials.

According to the petition, although Justice Eberechi Wike appeared as the grantor in the deeds, the acquisitions and transfers were carried out in concert with her husband.

It stressed that her legitimate income as a judicial officer could not reasonably sustain such multi million dollar cash purchases.

Sowore further alleged that Wike has been involved in large scale land allocations in Abuja, claiming that more than 3,800 hectares valued at 6.45 billion dollars have been diverted to his children through shell companies and proxies since his appointment as FCT Minister in August 2023.

He urged the Florida Attorney General to investigate the source of funds used for the acquisitions, initiate forfeiture proceedings against the identified properties, institute criminal prosecution against all parties involved, and impose visa bans and sanctions on Wike.

Adeyanju said his client was ready to provide additional documents and collaborate with U S based counsel to support the petition.

He warned that failure to act would make the United States a safe haven for corruption proceeds.

“The people of Nigeria have been impoverished for decades by the diversion of public funds. It would be a perversion of justice if those funds, siphoned through abuse of office, are allowed to flourish in Florida’s real estate market,” the petition read.

The petition was also copied to the U S Attorney General, Pam Bondi, and the U S Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M Mills Jr, with attached quit claim deeds andmedia reports detailing the acquisitions.