The family of Nigeria’s former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, has been denied a U.S. visa over links to a 127-acre horse farm in South Carolina allegedly purchased with misappropriated funds, according to a new investigation by the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF).
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Initiative (OCCRP), The Post and Courier, and The Houston Chronicle, the investigation reveals that Dasuki bought the property in 2002 while heading Nigeria’s Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC). His family later attempted to secure an American investor visa using the farm as proof of investment.
In 2015, Dasuki was indicted for misappropriating billions meant for Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram. PPLAAF’s findings indicate that approximately $27 million from these diverted funds were used to acquire luxury real estate in the U.S., including the South Carolina farm.
According to visa application records, Dasuki’s wife, Farida, claimed the purchase was financed through a $1 million lobbying contract her husband secured while leading NSPMC. She stated he lobbied Ghanaian officials for a Texas-based oil firm seeking offshore oil platform access. However, U.S. authorities rejected the visa application, citing concerns over the legitimacy of the funds.
Despite the rejection, there has been no indication of further action against the property, which now serves as an Airbnb rental and wedding venue. The horse farm features 55 stalls, 16 paddocks, a quarter-mile track, stadium ring equipment, four barns, and trails.
Corruption and Its Impact on Nigeria
This revelation follows a 2024 investigation by PPLAAF, The Washington Post, and Premium Times, which exposed Dasuki’s involvement in laundering money through luxury properties in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.. Nigerian officials have since urged the U.S. government to track the funds used in these acquisitions, but Dasuki’s associates continue to own several properties, including the South Carolina estate.
Jimmy Kande, PPLAAF’s West Africa Director, emphasized the implications:
“Dasuki has continued to profit while Nigerians suffer the consequences of misappropriated public funds. Corruption fuels insecurity, and terrorist groups thrive in the Sahel because of the diversion of resources meant for national security.”
Nigeria ranks 140th out of 180 countries in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International, underscoring the country’s persistent corruption crisis. Despite billions budgeted annually for poverty alleviation, over 65% of Nigerians remain multidimensionally poor, while the elite indulge in extravagant lifestyles at the expense of public infrastructure, education, and healthcare.
What’s Next?
While Nigerian authorities push for action against illicit assets abroad, the question remains: Will the U.S. seize the South Carolina horse farm and other assets linked to Dasuki, or will his family continue to benefit from misappropriated wealth?
