P
rominent Nigerian politicians accused of corruption have invested in properties worth millions of dollars in the Carolinas, including a tract in Spartanburg with an outstanding tax bill of $118,282. Records obtained by The Post and Courier's Uncovered project and an international consortium of journalists reveal that these individuals have family and corporate links to these properties. This highlights how powerful people from around the world, including those with questionable pasts, invest in unexpected corners of the United States.

    The findings come at a critical time as the US fights to increase transparency in American real estate purchases by foreign investors. In 2021, Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act, a bipartisan law aimed at deterring money laundering and tax evasion. However, new rules stemming from this law were set to take effect this year, requiring real estate professionals to identify the true buyers of properties. The Trump administration recently announced that it would not enforce the law.

    Notable Nigerian public officials who have bought land in the Carolinas include Orji Uzor Kalu, a former governor and current senator. Records show that Kalu owns or has corporate connections to five properties in South Carolina worth at least $2 million on tax rolls and properties worth over $4.7 million in the Charlotte metro area. He also owns two properties outside Washington, D.C., including one listed for $2.5 million.

    Kalu's business background suggests he has ample funds to invest. In 2013, he told a Nigerian radio interviewer that he made millions trading fish and palm oil before joining politics. His company, SLOK Holding, is well-known in Nigeria for its aviation, petroleum, and maritime ventures. However, Kalu has also been accused of using his government position for personal gain.

    In addition to Kalu, another prominent Nigerian official, Sambo Dasuki, bought a horse farm in Aiken in 2002 through corporate accounts around the world. After buying the farm, Dasuki transferred it to his wife, who applied for an American residency visa but was rejected due to lack of evidence that the funds were lawfully sourced.

    Experts say the Carolinas are ripe for questionable foreign real estate investments due to lax American rules. Prosecutors often target higher-profile money laundering destinations like Miami and Los Angeles, but more money is flowing into non-traditional jurisdictions like Iowa farmland and Kentucky factories. Researchers have found that it's easy to set up corporate shells that hide true owners of properties, with nearly half of service companies failing to ask for proof of identity.

    Orji Uzor Kalu's real estate investments in South Carolina stretch back decades, with records showing he bought at least nine properties in the 18 months after Nigerian prosecutors announced corruption charges. Family members were involved in many transactions, and some properties have been the subject of lawsuits over unpaid homeowners' association fees.

    The US Treasury Department has issued "Geographic Targeting Orders" for areas prone to money laundering, but no county in the Carolinas was covered under these rules. The department plans to require nationwide reporting of cash real estate transactions, but anti-corruption groups are pushing back against efforts to weaken transparency laws. They argue that lax rules distort American real estate markets and facilitate corruption in low-income countries.

    The proliferation of shell corporations also facilitates consumer scams, as they can shut down a corporation when caught and open another in minutes. The US is considered one of the easiest places to hide money in the world.