52 CSOs Demand Probe of FCT Minister Wike Over Undeclared Assets

A coalition of 52 Nigerian civil society organisations has called for an urgent investigation into Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, over allegations of asset concealment, illicit enrichment, and violations of Nigeria’s asset declaration laws.

In a joint statement signed by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and other groups, the coalition urged 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) to begin coordinated inquiries into the allegations. The groups stressed that no public official should be considered above the law, warning that selective enforcement erodes public trust and weakens Nigeria’s anti-corruption framework.

The organisations cited reports linking Wike and his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike of the Court of Appeal, to three high-value lakeside properties in Winter Springs, Florida, allegedly acquired between 2021 and 2023 and later transferred to their children. They also raised concerns over the use of shell companies, luxury vehicles, and property acquisitions in Abuja said to have been allocated to the minister’s close relatives. The coalition referenced long-standing claims that $300 million meant for environmental remediation in Ogoniland was diverted into private ventures, including a retail chain in Port Harcourt.

Senator Ireti Kingibe, who represents the FCT, has also accused the minister of unlawful land allocations in Abuja, with investigative reports suggesting that several prime plots were transferred to members of Wike’s family. According to the coalition, these allegations, if substantiated, represent not only violations of Nigeria’s anti-corruption laws but also a profound betrayal of public trust.

The CSOs are demanding a full audit of Wike’s asset declarations as both Governor and Minister, a forensic probe of his financial dealings and those of his immediate family, and a transparent publication of investigative findings followed by legal action where violations are confirmed. They further called on international watchdogs and global transparency partners to closely monitor the process, noting that credible accountability in this case would reinforce Nigeria’s anti-corruption commitments and send a clear message that political status offers no protection against the law.

Describing the matter as a test of Nigeria’s anti-corruption institutions, the groups warned that failure to act decisively would embolden corrupt practices, while a transparent and impartial investigation would restore confidence in the nation’s accountability systems.