A new report by PPLAAF and ACDC identified 284 properties in the United States connected to 61 current and former Nigerian officials and their associatesThe investigation found that 230 of the 284 properties, worth about $232 million, were bought without any clear source of financing39 of the 61 individuals examined have been publicly accused, indicted, or sentenced for corruption offences in NigeriaPAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues FCT, Abuja – A joint investigation by the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF) and the Anti-Corruption Data Collective (ACDC) has uncovered 284 properties across the United States, valued at nearly $271 million in total, that are tied to 61 current and former senior Nigerian officials, their families, close associates, and affiliated companies.The findings were presented in Abuja on Tuesday at the launch of the report, titled “Nigeria: Dirty Deeds — How Top Nigerian Officials Bought a Piece of America.” New report links 61 Nigerian officials to 284 US properties worth $271 million. Photo credit: @TheICIR/Orji Uzor Kanu Source: UGCAs reported by Premium Times, the properties were acquired from 1991 onwards, and 152 of them, worth roughly $177 million, changed hands while the officials concerned were still serving in government.PAY ATTENTION: From breaking news to viral moments. Follow Legit.ng on Instagram!How the properties were acquiredPPLAAF said 230 of the 284 properties, representing about 81 per cent of the total and valued at around $232 million, were bought without any apparent financing. The report flagged additional red flags, including the use of companies and intermediaries that could conceal true ownership.
In 12 cases, Nigerian officials used US-registered entities that appeared linked to their Nigerian businesses to buy, hold, or sell properties.Investigators also found that some professionals involved in the transactions allegedly failed to verify identity documents or accepted deals conducted in the names of deceased individuals, raising concerns about oversight gaps in the American real estate market.The report said 39 of the 61 individuals examined have been publicly accused, indicted, or sentenced for corruption. Among those named are former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, former pension task force chairman Abdulrasheed Maina, former Abia State Governor Orji Kalu, former Aviation Minister Stella Oduah, former JAMB Registrar Dibu Ojerinde, and former NNPC Group Chief Operating Officer Ronald Ewubare.Calls for investigation and asset recoveryPPLAAF Executive Director Jimmy Kande described the scale of the findings as unprecedented and called for joint action by Nigerian and American authorities.”At an unprecedented scale, these findings expose the failings of individual officials and the structural gaps that allow stolen public wealth to cross borders and settle quietly into foreign real estate,” Kande said. “The purchases, transfers, and sales documented here could amount to international money laundering and must be investigated as such. Nigerian and American authorities must work together to ensure these assets are returned to the people they were taken from.”The report urged authorities to examine the sources of funds behind the identified transactions, strengthen cooperation between financial-crime and law-enforcement agencies, and establish mechanisms to recover and repatriate assets proven to have been acquired with stolen public funds.Report links 61 Nigerian officials to 284 Properties worth $271 million in the United States.
Photo credit: Getty Images Source: Getty ImagesAlao-Akala’s properties in Nigeria, UK, USMeanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that a legal battle over the estate of former Oyo governor Adebayo Alao-Akala exposed a vast portfolio of properties spread across Nigeria, the UK, the US, and Ghana.An Oyo State High Court restrained executors of the estate from selling or transacting on the assets pending the determination of the suit.The claimant sought DNA tests and court intervention to protect her legal and equitable interests in the estate. Source: Legit.ng Adekunle Dada (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Adekunle Dada is a Politics and Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng. He holds a B.Sc. in Mass Communication from Lagos State University, Ojo, and brings over eight years of professional media experience to his role. He has spent his career refining his craft at PM News, The Sun, and Within Nigeria.
In 2024, he earned a certification in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. He can be reached at adekunle.dada@corp.legit.ng Uae Demetress bell Trust message Germany Visa waiver programme
