From Indictment to Investment: How Orji Uzor Kalu channelled millions into US real estate despite corruption charges
(Abuja, 10 March 2025) – A new investigation reveals that Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Nigeria’s Abia State, spent millions of dollars on properties in the United States as he faced indictment at home on multiple accounts of corruption and money-laundering, said The Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF) today. Documents uncovered by PPLAAF and The Post and Courier in South Carolina show that during his tenure as governor, Uzor Kalu spent USD 3.3 million on American properties. In the 18 months following his departure from office and while under indictment by Nigerian authorities, he acquired additional properties worth USD 4.4 million.
The investigation further reveals that, in total, Uzor Kalu and his family have owned US properties valued at approximately USD 20 million across Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. These holdings include multiple homes, a dozen condominium units, undeveloped agricultural land, and a commercial space that previously housed a restaurant called Kalu.
Nigerian authorities accused Uzor Kalu of embezzling at least USD 24 million, allegedly diverting funds through a family-owned company. While Nigeria’s Supreme Court overturned his conviction on procedural grounds on May 8, 2020, these findings raise new concerns about whether misappropriated public funds were used to acquire US assets.
“Our recent investigations highlight how easily potential illicit funds can flow from places like Nigeria into the United States, where they can be used to purchase properties or other valuable assets. This is particularly alarming as the US Government seems to have decided to not enforce its anti-corruption legislation” said Jimmy Kandé, PPLAAF’s West Africa Director. “The decisions taken by the Trump Administration will negatively affect countries like Nigeria where there is still so much to be done to hold enablers of corruption accountable.”
Uzor Kalu, a senator since 2019 and a businessman with extensive commercial interests through SLOK Holding, was once listed among Africa’s wealthiest individuals by Forbes. However, Nigerian authorities have long questioned the sources of his wealth. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) indicted him in 2007 on 34 counts of corruption and money laundering. After nearly a decade in court, he was convicted and sentenced to prison, but the verdict was later overturned on procedural grounds on May 8, 2020.
Uzor Kalu acquired most of his US properties through an American company he founded in the final days of his governorship, which he co-owned with his two minor children at the time. As his corruption trial advanced in 2014, he transferred many of these properties to SLOK, LLC—an American entity seemingly an affiliate of his family conglomerate and a named defendant in the Nigerian government’s corruption case.
During this period, Uzor Kalu’s relatives—beneficiaries of SLOK Holding—spent an additional USD 2.3 million on US properties, including a lakeside mansion near Houston. Uzor Kalu and his brother also jointly purchased properties during this time.
“It seems that no action was taken by Nigerian authorities to go after the properties purchased in the US. This raises serious questions about how the Nigerian judicial system ran the procedure against Uzor Kalu,” said Marie Paule Conaré, PPLAAF’s West Africa Project Officer.
This latest publication follows PPLAAF’s 2024 investigation with The Washington Post and the Premium Times as well as its investigation from last month with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Initiative (OCCRP), The Post and Courier in South Carolina, and The Houston Chronicle in Texas, regarding assets held in the United States by Sambo Dasuki, former Nigerian National Security Advisor (NSA) and head of the country’s mint. During his tenure as NSA from 2012 to 2015, Dasuki allegedly embezzled billions intended for counterterrorism efforts in Nigeria against Boko Haram. These stories form part of a broader investigation conducted by PPLAAF.
Corruption remains a major issue in Nigeria, with billions lost to fraud and money laundering by politicians and politically exposed persons (PEPs). Between 2023 and 2024, the EFCC secured 3,175 convictions and recovered over Nigerian dollars 156 billion (over USD 103 million) in stolen public funds. Despite these efforts, corruption and financial crimes continue to hinder Nigeria’s economic growth and governance. These stolen funds could have been used to improve major public services, underscoring the real-world impact of financial crimes.
Concerns over US regulatory rollbacks intensified on 2 March 2025 when the US Treasury announced it would not enforce the Corporate Transparency Act, which requires companies to disclose their true owners. Previously, real estate professionals in high-risk areas like Florida and California were mandated to report buyer and seller information. While these were replaced by a nationwide cash transaction reporting rule in 2020, the lack of enforcement undermines efforts to combat money laundering through US real estate.
The failure to enforce anti-corruption laws in the US not only weakens global efforts to combat illicit financial flows but also undermines accountability in countries like Nigeria. PPLAAF urge authorities to take concrete steps to re-open the case and ensure that the mechanisms enabling such financial movements are interrogated. Stronger oversight and stricter regulations are essential to prevent corruption and hold enablers accountable.
About PPLAAF
The Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa is a non-governmental organisation established in 2017 to protect whistleblowers, advocate for them, and engage in strategic litigation when their revelations affect the general interests of African citizens.
For more information on the organisation, please visit our website at https://pplaaf.org and follow us on Facebook or X.
For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:In Senegal, Jimmy Kande, PPLAAF’s West Africa Director:
jimmy@pplaaf.org or +221765659218
