In the fourth quarter of 2021, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) published 11.9 million leaked documents that exposed the secret offshore accounts of business leaders, celebrities, current and former presidents, prime ministers, and several other high-placed individuals across the globe. Those leaked documents published by the ICIJ which exposed the financial secrecy of the high and mighty are collectively referred to as the Pandora Papers. In this article, we’d mention the Nigerians that were mentioned in the infamous Pandora Papers and indicate which secret offshore accounts and shell companies attributed to them. Read on to find out who they are.
The list of Nigerians mentioned in Pandora Papers would be discussed below:
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Peter Gregory Obi
Peter Obi, former two-term governor of Anambra State and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the presidential election held in February 2023, is one of the Nigerians whose name was mentioned in the Pandora Papers.
Pandora Papers revealed that Peter Obi is the beneficial owner/director of PMGG Investment Limited, (formerly known as Gabriela Investments Limited) an offshore company incorporated on November 17, 2010, and registered in the British Virgin Islands. Peter Obi enlisted the services of an offshore law firm known as Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee (Alcogal) to register PMGG Investments Limited.
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Theophilus Danjuma
Theophilus Danjuma is a Nigerian billionaire that Pandora Papers revealed has roles as shareholder/director of two offshore companies. One of those companies is Brombell International Limited, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands of which Theophilus Danjuma is a shareholder/beneficial owner. Theophilus Danjuma contracted Trident Trust to register Brombell International Limited
Furthermore, Pandora Papers revealed his second offshore company to be Uppertown Enterprises Corp. Theophilus Danjuma contracted the services of Trident Trust to register Uppertown Enterprises Corp in the Bahamas in 2007.
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Abubakar Atiku Bagudu
Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, the current governor of Kebbi State and former senator that represented Kebbi Central constituency is one of the Nigerians implicated by the Pandora Papers to have offshore shell companies.
According to the document leaks published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu is the settlor of Ridley Trust which was registered in the British Virgin Islands. He sought the services of Asiaciti Trust to register this offshore shell company.
Blue Family Trust II is another offshore shell company that Asiaciti Trust helped Abubakar Atiku Bagudu register in Singapore on. His role in Blue Family Trust II is the beneficiary of the trust.
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Muhammadu Lawal Uwais
Muhammadu Lawal Uwais is a Nigerian jurist who served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria from 1995 to 2006. In 2021 leaked documents released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Muhammadu Lawal Uwais was mentioned as the beneficial owner of Walworth Capital Limited. Muhammadu Lawal Uwais enlisted the services of the offshore law firm, Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee (Alcogal) to register this offshore shell company in the British Virgin Islands in 2010.
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Henry Seriake Dickson
Henry Seriake Dickson, the current senator representing the Bayelsa West constituency and former governor of Bayelsa State, is another Nigerian mentioned in Pandora Papers to have an offshore shell company.
The offshore company in which the infamous document leak linked to Henry Seriake Dickson is Seriake Dickson Investments Limited. Seriake Dickson Investments Limited, which was formerly known as Seriakes Dickson Limited was incorporated on September 7, 2010, and was registered in Seychelles. He sought the services of the offshore law firm, Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee (Alcogal) to register this offshore company.
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Haroun Usman Sanusi
Haroun Usman Sanusi is one of the Nigerians whose name was mentioned in the Pandora Papers. According to the leaked documents released by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in 2021, Haroun Usman Sanusi is the beneficial owner of Mainstay International Limited.
According to information on the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) website, Haroun Usman Sanusi contracted the services of Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee (Alcogal) to register Mainstay International Limited. On June 2, 2010, the company was incorporated in the British Virgin Islands.
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Christopher John Nonyelum Okeke
Christopher John Nonyelum Okeke was mentioned in the Pandora Papers as the director and shareholder of Revbag Limited, an offshore shell company incorporated in Seychelles on the 23rd of February 2007. This offshore shell company was formerly known as Gil Investments Limited and Christopher John Nonyelum Okeke sought the services of Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee (Alcogal) to register the company.
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Mohammed Bello Koko
Mohammed Bello Koko, the current managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), was among the people that Pandora Papers mentioned have offshore shell companies. In 2008, Mohammed Bello Koko, alongside his wife enlisted the services of secrecy seller, Cook Worldwide and an offshore law firm, Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee (Alcogal) to register two offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands.
These offshore shell companies are Coulwood Limited (registration number: 1487897) and Marney Limited (registration number: 1487944), and both were incorporated on June 19, 2008. To this day, Mohammed Bello Koko serves as a director of both companies.
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Nicholas Ebomo Mutu
Nicholas Mutu, a Federal Representative representing Bomadi/Patan constituency Delta State in the 9th National Assembly is another Nigerian whose name appeared in the 2021 Pandora Papers for owning an offshore shell company
According to the Pandora Papers, Nicholas Mutu hired Alemán, Cordero, Galindo & Lee (Alcogal) to set up an offshore shell account known as Forest Group of Company Limited. Forest Group of Company Limited was registered in Seychelles.
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Ibrahim Bagudu
Ibrahim Bagudu, the younger brother of Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, is another Nigerian mentioned in the Pandora Papers, according to the Wikipedia page ‘List of people named in the Pandora Papers’.