A new investigative report has shed light on how stolen Nigerian government funds were funneled into the United States real estate market, with luxury properties in Los Angeles, Virginia, and South Carolina at the center of the scandal. This exposé, originally shared in brief by Adebayo Raphael on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, prompted further examination, leading to the full report published by The Post and Courier.
The report details how Sambo Dasuki, Nigeria’s former National Security Adviser, allegedly siphoned off $2 billion meant for the country’s fight against the terrorist group Boko Haram. A significant portion of the laundered money reportedly flowed through U.S. properties linked to Nigerian businessman Thomas Oshodin and his wife, Mimie Oshodin.
In 2013, the Oshodins purchased an opulent estate in Los Angeles, formerly owned by media moguls Norman and Dorothy Chandler, for $10.2 million. The mansion, renowned for hosting U.S. presidents, featured a 5,000-bottle wine collection and $1.1 million worth of custom draperies. That same year, they spent another $6.5 million on a sprawling 20,000-square-foot estate in McLean, Virginia, which included an 18-seat home theater and a spa suite. Mimie Oshodin reportedly used the Virginia mansion as a stopover between Africa and Los Angeles.
However, their real estate dealings did not stop there. The investigation uncovered another purchase—an expansive horse farm in Aiken, South Carolina, bought through questionable financial transactions. Despite allegations of money laundering, efforts by Nigerian prosecutors to seize these properties have stalled, and the Los Angeles mansion remains on the market for between $12 million and $15 million.
The report raises critical questions about the role of the U.S. in combating international money laundering. Former FBI supervisory special agent Karen Greenaway, an expert in anti-money laundering efforts, noted that in the early 2000s, the Justice Department lacked the infrastructure to pursue complex kleptocracy cases without strong evidence from a suspect’s home government. Although Nigerian authorities initially flagged Dasuki’s financial dealings, their follow-up was reportedly inadequate.
Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations emphasized the broader implications of such corruption, stating that Nigeria suffers from a “full-blown normative collapse—a collapse in the understanding of what is wrong and right.” This erosion of accountability, he warned, allows illicit financial activities to spread beyond national borders, impacting global markets and governance structures.
In Aiken, a town known for its deep equestrian culture and elite polo community, the ties to this international scandal remain largely unspoken. The report recounts a Sunday polo match at the Aiken Polo Club, where spectators included political figures and celebrities such as former South Carolina state treasurer Thomas Ravenel and former lawmaker Chip Limehouse.
Dasuki’s name, however, remained an enigma among Aiken’s affluent residents. His only known connection to the town was through his purchase of Green Hill Farms, a horse farm acquired using illicit funds. Despite the U.S. government’s early awareness of the suspicious transaction, no legal action was taken against the property. Alex Pacheco, a close associate of Dasuki, claimed ownership of the farm but admitted that official paperwork had not been completed.
This investigation underscores a troubling trend: corrupt political figures from resource-rich yet mismanaged nations parking their illicit wealth in U.S. real estate, evading scrutiny due to lax regulatory oversight.
The report, compiled by The Post and Courier in collaboration with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and other investigative bodies, highlights the urgent need for stronger anti-money laundering measures in the U.S. real estate sector.
More Read
The case of Dasuki and the Oshodins exemplifies how stolen public funds—intended for critical national security efforts—are instead diverted into luxury properties abroad, deepening the cycle of corruption and economic instability in Nigeria.
As Dasuki’s trial in Nigeria has been discontinued, except for recent developments involving his wife’s denied U.S. visa, questions persist about the broader implications of financial oversight. With U.S. authorities still contending with regulatory loopholes, a pressing concern remains: How many other undisclosed fortunes continue to evade scrutiny?
