Human rights attorney and previous Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has said that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike violated asset statement policies with the aid of using failing to reveal overseas property related to his spouse and kids.
Similarly, in August, damning revelations uncovered how Wike secretly received a $2 million mansion in Florida, and hid possession with the aid of using registering the assets withinside the names of his spouse, Justice Eberechi Wike, and their 3 kids, Joaquin, Jazmyne, and Jordan.
The documents, acquired with the aid of using West Africa Weekly, additionally display that Justice Wike is a registered member of the U.S. Democratic Party, a standing that locations her in violation of Nigeria`s Judicial Code of Conduct, which prohibits judges from partisan political affiliations.
According to reliable U.S. public records, the Wike own circle of relatives quietly secured the assets in March 2025.
The residence, placed at 113 Spring Creek Lane, Winter Springs, Florida 32708, is a -storey mansion constructed in 1997 on a 4,076-square-foot lot. It capabilities a couple of bedrooms, a garage, and committed parking spaces.
A supply acquainted with the deal, who spoke to West Africa Weekly on situation of anonymity, showed that Wike intentionally left out his call from the purchase, the usage of his spouse`s and kids`s identities to guard himself from scrutiny concerning asset statement duties and questions on the supply of funds.
The file became later amplified with the aid of using SaharaReporters, and human rights activist and previous presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore.
However, reacting to the debate in a Channels Television interview ultimate week, Wike disregarded claims that he secretly owned assets abroad, saying, “The assets became a present to my spouse from her own circle of relatives.”
“My spouse and kids are Americans. I don`t even like going to America,” the minister brought all through the interview.
Odinkalu, however, countered Wike`s defence, insisting that Nigeria`s asset statement legal guidelines require public officers to claim homes related to their spouses and kids, specially minors.
Taking to his X (previously Twitter) account on Thursday, Odinkalu wrote: “The #DrunkenGlutton has without a doubt now no longer examine the #AssetDeclaration policies or he have to realize that property withinside the call of his spouse & kids on account that 2008 difficulty him due to the fact they shd be declared.
“By the way, how vintage had been his kids in 2008. His making a song has handiest begun....”
Under Nigeria`s Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act, all public officials are mandated to claim their property, together with the ones in their spouses and kids beneathneath the age of 18.
Failure to achieve this can appeal to sanctions starting from elimination from workplace to prosecution earlier than the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
Wike, who served phrases as governor of Rivers State earlier than his appointment as FCT Minister in 2023, has confronted developing scrutiny over his political and private dealings.
The Florida assets row has now intensified requires extra duty and adherence to transparency policies amongst pinnacle authorities officers.
Sowore`s Petition
On Monday, SaharaReporters said that Sowore had petitioned the Attorney General of Florida, Hon. James Uthmeier, in search of the forfeiture and prosecution of Wike over illicit assets acquisitions withinside the United States.
In the petition dated September 22, 2025, and signed via way of means of his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, Esq., Sowore accused Wike of secretly buying multi-million-greenback actual property in Florida the use of suspicious coins transactions designed to hide the supply of funds.
According to the petition, Wike, along his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike of Nigeria`s Court of Appeal, bought 3 luxurious lakeside houses in Winter Springs, Seminole County, Florida, worth over $6 million.
The petition indexed the houses as 113 Springcreek Lane, Winter Springs, FL 32708, that is a 5,000 sq. ft. house bought in coins for $535,000 and transferred to Jordan Wike (25); 209 Hertherwood Court, Winter Springs, FL 32708, that is a 3,401 sq. ft. domestic obtained for $459,157 in coins and transferred to Joaquin Wike (23); and 208 Hertherwood Court, Winter Springs, FL 32708, that is a 3,901 sq. ft. domestic sold for $465,000 in coins and transferred to Jazmyne Wike (20).
Sowore`s legal professionals stated the purchases have been done thru stop declare deeds among July 2021 and September 2023 and transferred without delay to Wike`s children. They argued that the coins-handiest acquisitions bypassed banking oversight and raised “critical cash laundering concerns.”
Breach of Nigerian and U.S. Laws
The petition alleges that Wike did not claim those overseas property to Nigeria`s Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) as required beneathneath the Constitution.
It in addition stated that his valid earnings as a public servant due to the fact that 1999 couldn't preserve such multi-million-greenback acquisitions.
The petition argued that the transactions violated each Florida nation regulation and U.S. federal anti-cash laundering statutes, in particular mentioning the Florida Money Laundering Act (Chapter 896.101, Fla. Stat.), the Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act, and federal legal guidelines beneathneath 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957.
It additionally referenced the U.S. Department of Justice Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, which objectives belongings connected to deprave overseas officials.
In June, the Peoples Gazette began out a chain of reviews, accusing Wike of abusing his workplace with the aid of using allocating sprawling hectares of Abuja`s maximum treasured lands to his son, Joaquin Wike.
This changed into discovered in an special file with the aid of using the newspaper, which mentioned interior reassets and legit files to guide this superb abuse of energy orchestrated with the aid of using the FCT Minister.
The file discovered that Wike, considering assuming workplace in August 2023, signed off on over 2,000 hectares of top actual property to his son.
It discovered that to obtain this, the minister bypassed rules and skipped charge of vital fees, opposite to the Nigerian Constitution and the concepts of civil carrier ethics.
The Peoples Gazette said that those allocations span a number of Abuja`s maximum special districts, which include Maitama, Asokoro, Guzape, Bwari, and Gaduwa. This quantities to more or less 2,082 hectares or approximately 40,000 plots, with an anticipated marketplace cost of $3.6 billion.
In July, the minister changed into additionally accused of allocating top Abuja lands to his own circle of relatives participants and friends.
According to files mentioned with the aid of using Peoples Gazette, Wike signed 33 approvals for land allocations to his own circle of relatives and friends, which include his 90-year-antique father, Joshua Nlemanya Wike, who obtained a plot of land in Guzape II really well worth N400 million.
The allocations, which had been made on July 16, 2025, additionally blanketed lands for Wike`s paternal cousin, Believe Wike; nephew, Victor Wike; nephew, Henry Wike; and cousin, Enwusonye Promise Wike. Other beneficiaries blanketed 8 own circle of relatives participants of James Hunwo, who obtained person allocations at the equal day.
In April 2025, reviews discovered that six of his own circle of relatives participants, which include his brothers and sisters, had been allotted lands in Guzape II.
The beneficiaries had been 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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