A coalition of Nigerian civil society groups has demanded a sweeping investigation into Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, accusing him of concealing assets, diverting funds, and abusing his office through illicit land allocations and fraudulent enrichment schemes.
In a joint statement issued Thursday, the network of over 50 anti-corruption and transparency organisations urged Nigeria’s key anti-graft agencies — the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences commission (ICPC), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and the National Judicial Council (NJC) — to immediately launch coordinated probes into the minister’s financial and property dealings.
The coalition warned that political immunity must not be used as a shield for corruption.
“No public official, regardless of rank or influence, should be considered above the law. Selective enforcement corrodes public trust and undermines the legitimacy of Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework,” the statement declared.
According to the groups, credible reports tie Wike and his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike of the Court of Appeal, to massive undeclared assets, including three multimillion-dollar lakeside properties in Winter Springs, Seminole County, Florida, acquired between 2021 and 2023 and transferred to their children.
The network also cited the use of shell companies, luxury vehicles, and prime real estate in Abuja allegedly allocated to Wike’s close relatives.
The statement recalled long-standing allegations that Wike diverted $300 million originally earmarked for environmental remediation in Ogoniland into private business ventures, including a retail chain in Port Harcourt.
It also referenced recent accusations by FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe that the minister had unlawfully allocated prime plots of land in Abuja to family members and associates.
“These allegations, if substantiated, represent not only violations of Nigeria’s anti-corruption statutes but a profound betrayal of public trust,” the coalition said.
The CSOs demanded: a full audit of Wike’s asset declarations as both governor and minister, a forensic probe into financial transactions linked to him and his immediate family, and transparent publication of findings and prosecution where violations are established.
They described the matter as a litmus test for Nigeria’s battered anti-corruption war, stressing that failure to act would embolden other politically exposed persons to loot without consequences.
“Nigeria cannot afford a governance environment where political stature shields misconduct,” the coalition said.
The statement reads: “A full audit of Mr. Wike’s asset declarations as governor and minister; A forensic investigation of financial transactions linked to him and his immediate family; Transparent publication of investigative findings, followed by legal action where violations are confirmed.
