The U.S. government rejected a visa application from the wife of a former Nigerian National Security Adviser over concerns about the source of funds used to purchase a $1 million horse farm in South Carolina. The ex-NSA, Sambo Dasuki, bought the 127-acre property in 2002 while heading Nigeria’s Security Printing and Minting Company. In her visa application, Dasuki’s wife claimed the money came from a $1 million lobbying contract her husband secured to influence Ghanaian officials on behalf of a Texas oil company.
However, U.S. authorities were not convinced and upheld the rejection, citing a lack of evidence to substantiate her claims. The CEO of the oil company, Lushann International Energy Corporation, also cast doubt on the explanation. “I didn’t pay Mr. Dasuki.
I didn’t have a million dollars,” Quincy Sintim-Aboagye stated, though he did not dismiss the possibility of transactions through the company’s Nigerian subsidiary.
Visa rejection over dubious funds
Questions were also raised about the funds being wired from bank accounts in Hong Kong and the U.K., which Dasuki’s wife said was done at his direction.
U.S. authorities found no evidence to support this and noted that she failed to provide proof of her husband paying tax on the funds. Despite the visa rejection, no further action was taken against the farm. The property, which includes an equestrian center, horse tracks, and stable rentals, was later transferred to Dasuki’s wife and is now used as an Airbnb rental and wedding venue.
Dasuki, who faces ongoing court battles over the alleged mismanagement of $2.1 billion intended for fighting Boko Haram militants, has pleaded not guilty. The recent findings by the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa shed light on U.S. authorities’ concerns about his financial dealings years before the current charges. The farm’s purchase and the visa application raise questions about the use of questionable funds in international investments and the challenges in regulating such activities.
Dasuki and his wife have not responded to inquiries about the property’s current status or the sources of funding.
