Nigeria: 61 public officials linked to $271 million in assets in the United States

Of this total, 152 properties, valued at approximately $177 million, were acquired while the officials were in office, according to the “Dirty Deeds” report by the African Whistleblower Protection Platform (PPLAAF), conducted in collaboration with the Anti-Corruption Data Collective (ACDC).

The researchers indicate that 230 properties, or 81% of the total, valued at nearly $232 million, were purchased without apparent funding in the reviewed records. Among these, 120 properties were acquired during the officials’ tenures, either directly by them, their spouses, or their companies, or indirectly by relatives and associated entities. The lack of visible funding serves as a risk indicator to be verified, but does not alone prove the illicit origin of the funds.

Thirty-nine of the 61 individuals examined have previously faced public allegations, prosecutions, or convictions for corruption, PPLAAF notes. The report specifically mentions former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki, former governor Orji Uzor Kalu, former minister Stella Oduah, and Abdulrasheed Maina, a former pension reform official. The legal situations vary among individuals, and several have contested the allegations against them.

Purchases traced over three decades

The investigation covers acquisitions made since 1991. To attribute a property, the authors cross-referenced official U.S. property records, corporate registries, and identification data. Each property had to be linked to the individual in question by at least two independent elements, such as a date of birth, an address, a signature, or a business structure. The estimates are based on the 2025 tax values to apply a common basis to the 284 properties.

PPLAAF is urging Nigerian and U.S. authorities to examine the transactions and sources of funding, and to preserve the assets where the law allows. The report only calls for restitution for properties where the acquisition with misappropriated funds can be established. It notes that 79 properties, valued at approximately $73 million, remain linked to 27 individuals publicly accused of corruption.