PHOTOS: Sowore releases another batch of Wike’s loot, exposes how FCT Minister diverted Ogoni remediation $300 million to build “HyperCity” — Ogoni leaders take report to Aso Rock as calls for probe grow

Sowore releases another batch of Wike’s loot, exposes how FCT Minister diverted Ogoni remediation $300 million to build “HyperCity” — Ogoni leaders take report to Aso Rock as calls for probe grow

 

 

Veteran activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore has again publicly accused Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike of diverting funds intended for the remediation and development of Ogoniland, alleging that roughly $300 million was redirected into private commercial projects including a chain of supermarkets branded “HyperCity” in Port Harcourt.

 

Sowore’s fresh allegations — which follow earlier claims about undeclared U.S. properties allegedly linked to the minister — were amplified this week after civil society and Ogoni leaders intensified demands for a full investigation into how money meant for Ogoniland’s recovery was handled.

 

Sowore has said he has filed petitions overseas related to properties he links to Wike.

 

Ogoni leaders meet presidency; $300m figure at centre of dispute

A delegation of Ogoni leaders, led by Rivers State officials, met with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja in January 2025 to present a consultations report on Ogoni land. The push for clarity over outstanding compensation and remediation funds — including the frequently cited $300 million figure tied to past settlements and cleanup commitments — has been a recurring demand from Ogoni civic groups and diaspora organisations.

 

Where the $300 million claim comes from

The $300 million figure appears in multiple public discussions about Ogoniland compensation and remediation. International reporting and leaked UN documents have previously shown that a $300 million contribution from Shell was part of a broader funding effort to clean up the worst of Ogoni’s oil damage — an effort that critics say has been mismanaged over several years. Those failures prompted renewed scrutiny of agencies and contractors tasked with the cleanup.

 

Sowore’s specific allegation: supermarkets and other investments

Sowore and allied campaigners claim the $300 million (and other sums meant for Ogoniland) were diverted and used to finance private commercial ventures in Rivers State, including HyperCity-branded supermarkets and hospitality properties in Port Harcourt. Social media posts and local reporting confirm the recent opening and promotion of at least one HyperCity outlet in Port Harcourt — an element Sowore points to as evidence of alleged diversion.

 

Responses and denials

Wike’s camp has pushed back. Aides have accused Sowore of dishonesty and disputed the ownership and provenance claims, while questioning the activist’s motives. Media offices allied to the minister described earlier public claims as unproven and politically motivated, and pledged to respond through legal channels where necessary.

 

Calls for formal investigations mount

Civil-society groups in the Niger Delta and Ogoni community leaders have threatened litigation and demanded audits and forensic accounting of the funds earmarked for Ogoni remediation. Organisations such as the Ogoni Liberation Initiative and other local bodies have vowed to pursue recovery of unpaid compensation and to press authorities for transparency in how cleanup funds were managed.

 

Background — long-running cleanup problems in the Niger Delta

Independent reporting and U.N.-related reviews over recent years have documented persistent problems with the government’s Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) and other agencies charged with restoring polluted Niger Delta sites. Leaked assessments and investigations by global outlets concluded that contractors, testing procedures and oversight have at times been inadequate — a backdrop that critics say makes new allegations of fund diversion all the more alarming.

 

What comes next

The competing claims set up a likely series of legal and political battles: Sowore has signalled he will continue pressing both domestic and international avenues where he believes funds have been laundered or properties acquired illicitly. Ogoni leaders and civic groups say they will push for an official forensic audit of the Ogoni remediation funds and want the federal government to publicly account for disbursements and project outcomes. Wike’s office has indicated it will respond to allegations through available institutional and legal channels.