Human rights lawyer and former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has stated that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike violated asset declaration rules by failing to disclose foreign assets associated with his wife and children.
Similarly, in August, damning revelations exposed how Wike secretly acquired a $2 million mansion in Florida, and concealed ownership by registering the property in the names of his wife, Justice Eberechi Wike, and their three children, Joaquin, Jazmyne, and Jordan.
The documents, obtained by West Africa Weekly, also show that Justice Wike is a registered member of the U.S. Democratic Party, a status that places her in violation of Nigeria’s Judicial Code of Conduct, which prohibits judges from partisan political affiliations.
According to official U.S. public records, the Wike family quietly secured the property in March 2025.
The residence, located at 113 Spring Creek Lane, Winter Springs, Florida 32708, is a two-storey mansion built in 1997 on a 4,076-square-foot lot. It features multiple bedrooms, a garage, and two dedicated parking spaces.
A source familiar with the deal, who spoke to West Africa Weekly on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Wike deliberately omitted his name from the purchase, using his wife’s and children’s identities to shield himself from scrutiny regarding asset declaration obligations and questions about the source of funds.
The report was later amplified by SaharaReporters, and human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.
However, reacting to the controversy in a Channels Television interview last week, Wike dismissed claims that he secretly owned property abroad, saying, “The property was a gift to my wife from her family.”
“My wife and children are Americans. I don’t even like going to America,” the minister added during the interview.
Odinkalu, however, countered Wike’s defence, insisting that Nigeria’s asset declaration laws require public officials to declare properties linked to their spouses and children, especially minors.
Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday, Odinkalu wrote: “The #DrunkenGlutton has clearly not read the #AssetDeclaration rules or he should know that assets in the name of his wife & children since 2008 concern him because they shd be declared.
“By the way, how old were his children in 2008. His singing has only begun….”
Under Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, all public officers are mandated to declare their assets, including those of their spouses and children under the age of 18.
Failure to do so can attract sanctions ranging from removal from office to prosecution before the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Wike, who served two terms as governor of Rivers State before his appointment as FCT Minister in 2023, has faced growing scrutiny over his political and personal dealings.
The Florida property row has now intensified calls for greater accountability and adherence to transparency rules among top government officials.
Sowore’s Petition
On Monday, SaharaReporters reported that Sowore had petitioned the Attorney General of Florida, Hon. James Uthmeier, seeking the forfeiture and prosecution of Wike over illicit property acquisitions in the United States.
In the petition dated September 22, 2025, and signed by his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, Esq., Sowore accused Wike of secretly purchasing multi-million-dollar real estate in Florida using suspicious cash transactions designed to conceal the source of funds.
According to the petition, Wike, alongside his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike of Nigeria’s Court of Appeal, purchased three luxury lakeside properties in Winter Springs, Seminole County, Florida, valued at over $6 million.
The petition listed the properties as 113 Springcreek Lane, Winter Springs, FL 32708, which is a 5,000 sq. ft. residence purchased in cash for $535,000 and transferred to Jordan Wike (25); 209 Hertherwood Court, Winter Springs, FL 32708, which is a 3,401 sq. ft. home acquired for $459,157 in cash and transferred to Joaquin Wike (23); and 208 Hertherwood Court, Winter Springs, FL 32708, which is a 3,901 sq. ft. home bought for $465,000 in cash and transferred to Jazmyne Wike (20).
Sowore’s lawyers said the purchases were executed through quit claim deeds between July 2021 and September 2023 and transferred directly to Wike’s children. They argued that the cash-only acquisitions bypassed banking oversight and raised “serious money laundering concerns.”
Breach of Nigerian and U.S. Laws
The petition alleges that Wike failed to declare these foreign assets to Nigeria’s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as required under the Constitution.
It further noted that his legitimate income as a public servant since 1999 could not sustain such multi-million-dollar acquisitions.
The petition argued that the transactions violated both Florida state law and U.S. federal anti-money laundering statutes, specifically citing the Florida Money Laundering Act (Chapter 896.101, Fla. Stat.), the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act, and federal laws under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957.
It also referenced the U.S. Department of Justice Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, which targets assets linked to corrupt foreign officials.
In June, the Peoples Gazette started a series of reports, accusing Wike of abusing his office by allocating sprawling hectares of Abuja’s most valuable lands to his son, Joaquin Wike.
This was revealed in an exclusive report by the newspaper, which cited inside sources and official documents to support this staggering abuse of power orchestrated by the FCT Minister.
The report revealed that Wike, since assuming office in August 2023, signed off on over 2,000 hectares of prime real estate to his son.
It revealed that to achieve this, the minister bypassed regulations and skipped payment of critical fees, contrary to the Nigerian Constitution and the principles of civil service ethics.
The Peoples Gazette stated that these allocations span some of Abuja’s most exclusive districts, including Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, Bwari, and Gaduwa. This amounts to roughly 2,082 hectares or about 40,000 plots, with an estimated market value of $3.6 billion.
In July, the minister was also accused of allocating prime Abuja lands to his family members and friends.
According to documents cited by Peoples Gazette, Wike signed 33 approvals for land allocations to his family 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; nephew, Victor Wike; nephew, Henry Wike; and cousin, Enwusonye Promise Wike. Other beneficiaries included eight family members of 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 were Vincent Ejike Wike, Chidi Sam Wike, Chituru Wike, Christian Ibebulachi Wike, Collins Ngeme Wike, and Emmanuel Okanwene Wike.
However, Wike denied the allegations.
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