Nigeria’s former national security adviser, Sambo Dasuki, is currently facing corruption charges in his home country.

However, documents reveal that suspicions about his financial dealings date back years, stretching across the Atlantic to South Carolina, where he purchased a horse farm in 2002 using dubious funds, according to an exclusive report by Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

Dasuki’s troubles began shortly after his removal from office in 2015, when he was arrested and charged with allegedly mismanaging $2.1 billion meant to purchase weapons to fight Boko Haram. Despite pleading not guilty, the case remains ongoing, with the charges yet to be proven.

Investigations in 2024 uncovered evidence suggesting Dasuki funneled suspicious funds into a $2.8-million mansion in a Washington D.C. suburb. The investigations were done by Premium Times, the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), and the Washington Post.

Further collaboration between PPLAAF, OCCRP, the Houston Chronicle, and Charleston’s Post and Courier has shed light on Dasuki’s South Carolina farm, raising more questions about his financial dealings.

A 2007 letter from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reveals that officials questioned the legitimacy of the funds used by Sambo Dasuki to purchase the property in the Aiken Horse District of South Carolina.

The letter upheld the rejection of Dasuki’s wife, Farida, application for an immigrant investor visa, which was tied to her husband’s $950,000 cash purchase of the Green Hills horse farm in June 2002. Dasuki had transferred the title of the farm to Farida.

According to Farida, the money for the property came from a petroleum company that paid Dasuki $1 million to lobby Ghanaian officials for a deal to rehabilitate an abandoned offshore oil field. However, she only provided an unsigned consulting contract to support this claim.

US immigration officials were unconvinced by Farida’s explanation, citing a lack of evidence to support her husband’s supposed experience in the oil and gas industry. They specifically questioned the legitimacy of the $1 million consulting fee.

Neither Dasuki nor his wife responded to questions about the source of the funds used to purchase the farm and whether Farida ultimately received a US visa following the rejection of her immigrant investor application in 2007.

Quincy Sintim-Aboagye, CEO of Texas-based Lushann International Energy Corporation, has disputed Farida’s claims about the source of funds used to purchase the South Carolina farm.

According to Farida, Lushann International Energy Corporation hired her husband, Dasuki, for lobbying efforts and paid him $1 million. However, Sintim-Aboagye denied paying Dasuki, stating he didn’t have $1 million.

However, he did not rule out the possibility that someone from the company’s Nigerian subsidiary could have made payments.

The letter revealed that payments for the farm were wired to the seller’s agent from bank accounts belonging to companies in Hong Kong and the U.K.

Farida claimed that Dasuki instructed the oil company to send his lobbying fee to the seller’s agent through the two firms, but U.S. authorities noted she did not provide any evidence to support this.

Additionally, she failed to prove that her husband had paid taxes on the funds.

Although Farida is still listed as the owner of the farm, property taxes have been paid by Alex Pacheco, a polo photographer who splits his time between Florida and Aiken.

Pacheco declined to discuss the farm’s current business operations. Public records show that the expansive estate features holiday accommodations, horse tracks, and stable rentals.

Pacheco explained that he met Dasuki in Washington D.C. in the 1980s, and they became friends. He later introduced Dasuki and his wife to Aiken, where they decided to purchase the farm.

In 2015, shortly after being removed from office by then President Muhammadu Buhari, Dasuki was arrested and charged with misappropriating $2.1 billion meant for purchasing weapons to combat Boko Haram insurgents.

The funds were allegedly diverted to fund political campaigns and personal expenses rather than being used for military equipment.

According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dasuki authorized large payments to politicians, government officials, and companies with little or no link to defense procurement.

Some of the funds were allegedly routed through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) to individuals and organizations for purposes unrelated to national security.

The scandal led to widespread public outrage in Nigeria, as inadequate military equipment was blamed for the military’s struggles against Boko Haram. Several high-profile individuals, including politicians and military officials, were implicated.

Dasuki has consistently denied any wrongdoing, arguing that he followed official procedures for disbursements as directed by Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari’s predecessor.

He was detained for several years despite being granted bail multiple times, leading to accusations of human rights violations.

The case remains unresolved, with ongoing legal battles and investigations.

Source: Sahara Reporters

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on Sunday, inaugurated the newly elected local government chairmen and councillors in the Saturday poll.

Adeleke urged them to focus on good governance while warning against any attempt to forcibly occupy council secretariats.

He also expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for resisting attempts by some forces to destabilise Osun State.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony in Osogbo, the governor described the occasion as a major milestone in the state’s democratic process, emphasising that the election was conducted in line with due process.

“We are here to conclude a democratic process for which we all laboured so hard to achieve,” Adeleke said.

Before proceeding with his address, the governor called for a minute of silence in honour of those who lost their lives during the “illegal APC takeover of local government secretariats.”

The governor recounted the journey leading to the local government election, stating that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission had duly followed all legal procedures.

“The state electoral body had issued due notice of election a year ago. I know the commission had complied with all extant rules and procedures which led to the emergence of new local government chairmen and councillors,” he stated.

While acknowledging the legal controversies surrounding the election, Adeleke affirmed that his administration acted within the ambit of the law.

“It is, however, a thing of joy that the facts are out in the public domain, and we are satisfied that we are on the side of the law within the context of the rule of law and the constitution,” he added.

Call for Good Governance….

Addressing the newly sworn-in officials, Adeleke charged them to be “agents of change, community developers, and deliverers of the dividends of democracy.”

“You have the mandate to deliver on good governance in your respective local governments.

“I charge you to develop plans of action within the manifesto of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“As our government is transforming the state for the better, I call on you to be agents of change,” he said.

The governor also appreciated the people of Osun for their steadfast support, assuring them that his administration would remain committed to their welfare.

“Osun people demonstrated courage and passion to exercise their voting rights, and they did so by massively supporting our party despite all the constraints. We will not fail you. People’s welfare will continue to be our watchword,” he promised.

Adeleke commended OSIEC, security agencies, and state officials for ensuring the success of the election.

Appreciation to Tinubu

In a significant moment, the governor expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for resisting attempts by some forces to destabilise Osun State.

“I should not end this address without acknowledging the contributions of Mr. President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“I am most grateful to Mr. President for rejecting efforts by some forces to plunge Osun into chaos,” Adeleke stated.

He reaffirmed his commitment to upholding the rule of law and the constitution in governance and conflict resolution.

Warning Against Forced Takeover
The governor strongly advised the newly elected chairmen and councillors to avoid confrontation at local government secretariats, citing an ongoing legal process to resolve the leadership crisis.

“I urge you and your councillors to please stay away from the council secretariats to avoid any clash with those whom the police had aided to forcefully occupy the local government secretariats,” Adeleke cautioned.

He referenced an Osun State High Court ruling that had affirmed vacancies in both chairmanship and councillorship positions before the election on February 22, 2025, assuring that his administration would rely on the judiciary to remove those illegally occupying the secretariats.

“Please be patient and always abide by the rule of law,” he advised.

With that, Adeleke formally declared the swearing-in of the elected local government officials.

“It is on this note that I, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke, the Executive Governor of Osun State, hereby effect the swearing-in of elected local government chairmen across Osun State. Congratulations and God bless you,” he concluded.

The National Bureau of Statistics has disclosed that alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and narcotics recorded the highest inflation rate at 14.80 per cent, according to its latest rebased Consumer Price Index for January 2025.

In a graphical illustration presented in its CPI report, the NBS noted that the alcohol and tobacco item division was followed by restaurants and accommodation services, which had an inflation rate of 14.14 per cent, while transport and clothing and footwear recorded 12.77 per cent and 12.73 per cent, respectively.

The report, which rebased Nigeria’s CPI to 2024 as the new base year, revealed that headline inflation stood at 24.48 per cent in January 2025, meaning that the general price level of goods and services rose significantly compared to the same period in 2024.

The report by the NBS read, “The rebased All Items index in January 2025 was 110.68, while the headline inflation rate on a year-on-year basis stood at 24.48 per cent in January 2025.

“This means that the general prices of goods and services in Nigeria increased by 24.48 per cent compared to January 2024.”

The CPI rebasing was necessary to reflect current economic realities and consumption patterns in Nigeria.

The rebased CPI structure covers 934 product varieties, classified under 13 divisions based on the 2018 Classification of Individual Consumption According to Purpose.

The divisions include food and non-alcoholic beverages, clothing and footwear, transport, housing and utilities, furnishings, health, communication, and education, among others.

The weighting structure was adjusted to account for changes in consumer spending, with food and non-alcoholic beverages maintaining the highest weight at 40 per cent, although it declined from 51.8 per cent in the previous base year of 2009.

According to the report, inflationary pressures varied across different categories, with food and beverages inflation at 10.64 per cent, reflecting the continued rise in staple food prices.

The personal care, social protection, and miscellaneous goods and services division recorded 12.04 per cent inflation, while furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance saw an inflation rate of 11.48 per cent.

The health sector recorded 9.42 per cent inflation, while housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels increased by 7.61 per cent.

The education sector and insurance and financial services recorded the lowest inflation rates, standing at 4.88 per cent and 4.65 per cent, respectively. Information and communication, which was newly assigned a higher weight in the rebased CPI, had an inflation rate of 7.54 per cent.

The recreation, sport, and culture category recorded 6.85 per cent, highlighting moderate price increases in these services.

The NBS report highlighted the divergence in inflation trends between urban and rural areas, with urban inflation at 26.09 per cent, while rural inflation stood at 22.15 per cent.

This suggests that price pressures were more severe in urban areas, particularly in sectors such as housing, transportation, and restaurant services, where cost increments were more pronounced.

The rebasing exercise introduced new methodologies to enhance the accuracy of inflation tracking.

Data collection was fully digitised, replacing paper-based surveys with computer-assisted personal interviewing devices, which allowed real-time transmission and verification of price data.

The high inflation rate for alcoholic beverages and tobacco is linked to multiple factors, including excise duties, exchange rate volatility, production costs, and supply chain disruptions.

We further observed that Imo State emerged as the most expensive state to reside in Nigeria following the rebasing of the Consumer Price Index by the NBS.

The development marked a significant shift in Nigeria’s inflation rankings, as Bauchi, which held the top spot for seven consecutive months, was dethroned.

The change comes after the NBS updated its methodology, adjusting the base year from 2009 to 2024, revising the weighting structure, and expanding the consumer basket to better reflect household spending patterns.

Earlier, the Statistician-General of the Federation and Chief Executive of the NBS, Prince Semiu Adeyemi, said, “Rebasing our GDP and CPI allows us to align with these transformations, providing a more precise and relevant picture of Nigeria’s economic landscape.

“This process is foundational to informed policymaking, strategic planning, and effective governance; hence, it is one exercise that the NBS is conducting with significant importance and professionalism.”