Following allegations of secret acquisition of a $2 million mansion in Florida, United States, through questionable financial dealings in 2025, former governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, is likely to face prosecution in the United States of America.
This followed a petition by activist and politician, Mr Omoyele Sowore to the Attorney General of the State of Florida, Ashley Moody, in which he catalogued details of how Wike allegedly violated Florida State anti-money laundering laws and urged the Attorney General to open up investigations.
Sowore in a post on both X (formerly Twitter) and his Facebook page, alleged that Wike bought the luxury property in cash and also attempted to obscure the ownership of the properties as he deliberately registered them in the names of his wife, Justice Eberechi Wike, who is a serving Justice of the Nigerian Court of Appeal, and their children namely; Joaquin, Jazmyne, and Jordan.
Sowore noted that the act amounted to property trafficking and money laundering under the Florida Statute § 812.019, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
In the words of Sowore; “The FCT Minister is about to find out in a very hard way”.
The controversy over the Florida mansions took a new dimension following the publication by the West Africa Weekly U.S. public records that showed that Wike had discreetly purchased the residence at 113 Spring Creek Lane, Winter Springs, Florida, in March 2025.
The property, which is a two-storey building that was constructed in 1997, sits on a 4,076-square-foot lot, just as records reportedly confirm that Wike’s name was deliberately excluded from the paperwork with ownership documents reflecting only his wife and children.
Analysts argued this was an attempt to evade asset disclosure laws in Nigeria as well as conceal the source of funding.
The revelation has further fueled outrage in most parts of 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 has also raised questions about accountability and the broader issue of public officials using foreign assets to allegedly launder illicit wealth.
Wike had told Channels Television that the properties were gifts to his children by their grandmother, who is an American citizen just as his wife and children.
The Attorney General’s office in Florida is yet to respond to the petition by Sowore on the possible date for the commencement of investigation into the matter that promises to be an interesting one in the days ahead.