A fresh corruption storm is raging around Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, as human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, accused him of looting a staggering $300 million meant for the environmental cleanup of Ogoniland, using it to bankroll a supermarket empire in Port Harcourt.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), who has been at loggerheads with the former Rivers Governor, made the explosive claim on Friday in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle.
“The revelation is that thieving Nyesom Ezenwo Wike diverted $300million earmarked for Ogoniland’s remediation and development,” Sowore wrote.
According to him, the funds were allegedly channelled into the construction of ‘HyperCity Supermarkets’ — a flashy chain in the Rivers State capital.
“Reports indicate that Nyesom Ezenwo Wike funnelled the funds into constructing a chain of supermarkets in Port-Harcourt, known as ‘HyperCity Supermarkets,’” he added.
Sowore further alleged that the scandal was quietly mentioned in a document presented by Ogoni leaders during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu this week.
“This revelation, which is being hushed, had an honourable mention in a document presented by an Ogoni delegation to President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa the day before yesterday,” he stated.
Vowing relentless pursuit, the activist said, “We will not stop until Wike is brought to justice or justice is brought to him for the unprecedented looting, killings, and destruction he has wrought on Nigerians across board.”
The Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), launched in 2016 after a damning United Nations report, was created to restore Ogoniland after decades of oil spills.
However, with corruption fears dogging the project, Sowore’s explosive claims have reopened deep wounds about accountability in Nigeria’s Niger Delta.
