The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, may be arrested on arrival in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, OSUN DEFENDER gathered.
Wike, one of the poster boys of the Bola Tinubu administration during the outgone week, was alleged to have bought at least three luxury homes in Winter Springs, Florida, from perceived proceeds of corruption.
It was learnt that the former governor of Rivers State also reportedly acquired the multi-million dollar foreign properties in the name of his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, a serving judge of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal.
Further facts revealed that the duo have also obtained a United States Quit Claim Deed, transferring the properties to their children. In the country’s law, Quit Claim Deed is one of the simplest property transfer documents in U.S. real estate law that enables owners of properties to transfer such ownership to their children.
According to series of posts on his verified Facebook page, activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, the acquisitions were through questionable means, claiming that the properties were shared among Wike’s children, amounting to concealment of ownership and laundering of stolen funds.
He wrote, “It turns out that international thief Nyesom Wike has three different properties in Winter Springs, Florida. All of them were hidden under the name of his wife, who also serves as a Court of Appeal judge in Nigeria, and shared out to his children,” accusing the minister of “trafficking proceeds of crime.
“It allows one person, the grantor, to sign over whatever ownership interest they may have in a property to another person, the grantee. Crucially, it offers no guarantees the grantor makes no promise that the title is valid, clear, or even legitimate. In short, it transfers “whatever interest” the grantor has, nothing more.
“Ordinarily, quit claim deeds are used for routine family transactions, a husband adding a wife to a title, parents transferring property to children, or heirs resolving paperwork after an inheritance. Because they bypass warranties and detailed title checks, they are cheap, quick, and often escape close scrutiny.
“But this simplicity is exactly why kleptocrats love them. Corrupt officials exploit “quit claim deeds” to launder stolen wealth. By transferring properties into the names of wives, children, or other relatives, they hide their true ownership. On paper, the transactions appear to be ordinary family planning.
“In reality, they are deliberate strategies to conceal the original source of illicit funds. No public sale, no market-value exchange, no visible money trail, just the quiet concealment of corruption beneath harmless looking paperwork.
“This is precisely what Wike has done. Properties in Florida, purchased with the proceeds of corruption, were quietly moved into the names of his wife, herself a senior judicial officer in Nigeria, and their children. The pattern is a textbook case of laundering stolen Nigerian wealth into U.S. real estate, using quit claim deeds as legal camouflage.
“Under U.S. law, such transactions amount to money laundering and trafficking in stolen property, serious crimes punishable under both state and federal statutes. They are also subject to asset seizure and forfeiture under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative.”
According to Sowore, he has already contacted the Office of the Attorney General of Florida, James Uthmeier, to notify U.S. authorities of the alleged acquisitions.
He insisted that the matter falls under “first-class felony” offences under American law, potentially exposing Wike to investigation or arrest if he sets foot in the United States.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the allegations surface ahead of Wike’s expected participation at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week.
The minister, according to further findings, could be detained or subjected to questioning by U.S. law enforcement agencies if the petition is acted upon.
U.S. authorities have in the past prosecuted foreign officials for laundering illicit funds into American real estate.
Notable cases include probes into Nigerian politicians and business elites who secretly acquired properties through relatives or shell companies, triggering enforcement of anti-money laundering laws.
Independent investigations by Nigerian media have also raised questions over Wike’s financial dealings. Peoples Gazette previously published documents alleging that the minister allocated prime Abuja lands to his wife and other family members in violation of due process, further fueling suspicions of abuse of office.
Critics argue that the case highlights a wider pattern in which Nigerian public officials allegedly siphon funds into overseas assets while the country grapples with underdevelopment.
Sowore framed his petition as part of a broader campaign to expose and disrupt what he described as “transnational corruption networks.”
The mounting allegations have intensified pressure on the FCT Minister, who has remained silent on the matter. Neither Wike nor his aides have issued a response to Sowore’s claims as at the time of filing this report.
Analysts say Wike’s presence at UNGA could now prove controversial, with his international movements potentially shadowed by corruption allegations that may trigger diplomatic and legal implications for Nigeria.
Reacting to the posts, the Minister’s media aide downplayed the matter saying Wike has never denied the properties owned by his wife.
“Someone is sourcing PUBLIC DOCUMENTS that are readily available on the websites of institutions concerned and making noise about them. The question is, did Wike deny that his wife has properties in the US? No, he didn’t.
“THIEF, Cashtivist and RAPIST Sowore thinks everybody is like him, who lied in his ASSETS DECLARATION that he has just N5m and one Toyota Car.
“Person wey dey collect GRANTs running into millions of Dollars claimed that he has N5m and one Toyota Car,” Olayinka wrote on his Facebook page.
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
