Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters founder, Omoyele Sowore, has petitioned the Attorney General of Florida, James Uthmeier, demanding the forfeiture of multimillion-dollar properties allegedly acquired unlawfully by Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, News360 Nigeria reports.
In the petition dated September 22, 2025, and filed through his lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, Sowore alleged that Wike, alongside his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzette Nyesom-Wike of the Nigerian Court of Appeal, secretly purchased three lakeside properties in Winter Springs, Florida, valued at over $6 million.
The petition claims that the assets were later transferred to their children under questionable circumstances.
Sowore’s legal team argued that Wike, who has served as a public officer since 1999 without any legitimate private enterprise, cannot justify such acquisitions.
They accused him of using Florida as a safe haven to launder proceeds of corruption, while also alleging that as FCT Minister, he allocated prime public lands in Abuja to his sons through shell companies and proxies.
The petition urges the Florida authorities to invoke provisions of the Florida Money Laundering Act and Forfeiture Act to seize the properties, prosecute those involved, and enforce penalties for money laundering.
It further called on U.S. authorities to impose a visa ban on Wike, citing America’s global commitment to anti-corruption efforts.
Copies of the petition were also sent to the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria.
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