A large coalition of Nigerian civil society organizations, CSOs, has issued a powerful demand for an immediate and impartial investigation into the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, over serious allegations of asset concealment, illicit enrichment, and potential violations of asset declaration laws.
In a joint statement, the network, comprising over 50 groups focused on anti-corruption and transparency, urged Nigeria’s core anti-graft bodies to act swiftly, regardless of the minister’s political influence.
The organizations named the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, the National Judicial Council, NJC, and the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, as critical to the probe.
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“No public official, regardless of rank or influence, should be considered above the law. Selective enforcement corrodes public trust,” the coalition stated, calling the handling of the case a “litmus test” for the independence of Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions.
The CSOs cited credible reports linking the Minister and his spouse, Court of Appeal Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, to substantial undeclared assets.
These include: three high-value lakeside properties in Winter Springs, Seminole County, Florida, allegedly acquired between 2021 and 2023 and transferred to their children; the use of shell structures and luxury vehicles; long-standing allegations involving the purported diversion of $300 million earmarked for environmental remediation in Ogoniland; and unlawful land allocations in Abuja, with reports suggesting premium plots were allocated to close relatives.
“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 network specifically called on the CCB to shield its processes from political interference and conduct a full audit of Wike’s asset declarations made during his tenure as both governor and minister.
The coalition demanded a full audit of Mr Wike’s asset declarations, a forensic investigation of financial transactions linked to him and his immediate family, and the transparent publication of all investigative findings, followed by legal action where violations are confirmed.
The statement concluded with a strong appeal to international watchdogs and the global transparency community to closely monitor the process, emphasizing that a failure to act decisively will only embolden corrupt practices in the country.
By Ibrahim Ramalan @DailyNigeria
