A fresh investigation has uncovered that Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor of Abia State and current senator in Nigeria’s National Assembly, owes $118,282 (₦179 million) in unpaid property taxes in the United States.
Documents obtained by The Post and Courier’s Uncovered Project and the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa reveal that Kalu owns multiple properties across South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, and Texas, valued in the millions of dollars.
Despite his significant real estate holdings, Kalu has repeatedly failed to meet his tax obligations, raising concerns about Nigerian politicians’ hidden assets abroad.
According to U.S. tax records, Kalu is linked to at least five properties in South Carolina, collectively valued at over $2 million. His real estate holdings in the Charlotte metro area alone exceed $4.7 million. Additionally, he owns two luxury properties near Washington, D.C., including a mansion with eight bathrooms and a tennis court, currently listed for $2.5 million.
However, despite these valuable assets, Kalu has been unable—or unwilling—to pay his property taxes. Records from Spartanburg County, South Carolina, show that after missing multiple deadlines, his outstanding balance has grown to $118,282.52, including fees for the county’s demolition of an abandoned warehouse on one of his properties.
Kalu’s U.S. real estate investments date back to the early 1990s, even before he became governor of Abia State. In 1993, while serving as a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, he acquired a four-acre tract of land in Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
Today, that land is in disrepair. Once a commercial property with multiple warehouses and homes, it has deteriorated into an overgrown lot with red clay dirt, scattered trees, and a lone trash can. Neighbors recall that the site once had several warehouses—one of which burned down, while another remains abandoned.
A man identifying himself as Nnanna Utah, a former schoolmate of Kalu from Nigeria, told The Post and Courier that he had been using one of the warehouses for years.
“He can buy anything anywhere in the world he wants to,” Utah said. “He likes South Carolina because he was doing business here even before he made a dime.”
Local businessman Phil Terry, who owns a nearby junkyard, recalled how Orji Uzor Kalu nearly lost one of his U.S. properties. In 2016, Terry and his business partner, Ned Blackwell, purchased the land at a tax auction after Kalu failed to pay his taxes.
They cleared the outstanding tax bill with a payment of $12,342. However, before the one-year redemption period expired, a broker acting on Kalu’s behalf paid off the taxes, reclaiming the property for him.
Despite this close call, Kalu once again defaulted on his tax payments, with his latest bill totaling $118,282 still unpaid.
Records show that Kalu’s tax notices are sent to an address in Fort Mill, South Carolina, which was purchased in 2005 by Eunice Uzor. His mother, Eunice Uzor Kalu, shares the same name, and his brother, Mascot Uzor Kalu, is listed on the title. Mascot, a prominent figure in Nigerian politics, has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Further investigations reveal that Kalu has used shell companies like SLOK LLC to buy and sell real estate in the U.S. Some of these properties have been involved in lawsuits over unpaid homeowners’ association fees.
Between 2007 and 2008—around the same time Nigerian authorities charged him with corruption—Kalu acquired at least nine properties across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Maryland. These included 67 acres of land in Chester and York counties, near Charlotte, North Carolina. A recent inspection of the site revealed it remains undeveloped and littered with trash.
In Fort Mill, South Carolina, the upscale brick home purchased by Kalu’s mother in 2005 is now listed for sale. Reporters who visited the property observed moving containers and stacked boxes, suggesting recent activity.
Altogether, records indicate that Kalu and his family members have bought and sold over 40 properties in the U.S., raising further questions about the source of his wealth and his persistent failure to pay property taxes.
Despite claims of being a successful businessman before entering politics, Kalu has long been dogged by corruption accusations.
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In 2007, Nigerian prosecutors charged him with looting billions of naira from Abia State’s coffers while serving as governor. After a lengthy legal battle, he was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to 12 years in prison for fraud. However, in a controversial ruling, Nigeria’s Supreme Court overturned his conviction on technical grounds just five months later, setting him free.
Prosecutors vowed to retry the case, but a higher court rejected their request last year, leaving the case in limbo.
Kalu has consistently denied any wrongdoing. However, his lavish lifestyle, political influence, and extensive foreign assets have fueled speculation about how he amassed such immense wealth.
Repeated attempts by The Post and Courier to reach Kalu for comments were unsuccessful, as neither he nor his media assistant responded to inquiries.
Kalu is not the only Nigerian politician with significant real estate holdings in the United States.
Investigations reveal that former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki purchased a horse farm in Aiken, South Carolina, for nearly $1 million in 2002 while overseeing Nigeria’s government mint.
These revelations have reignited debates on how Nigerian politicians funnel money abroad through real estate investments.
The U.S. government has been working to crack down on such practices. In 2021, Congress passed the Corporate Transparency Act, aimed at preventing money laundering, terrorism financing, and tax evasion through anonymous real estate purchases.
However, enforcement of the law has faced resistance. On March 2, the Trump administration announced it would not implement the act, citing concerns over regulatory burdens on businesses.
Transparency advocates argue that weakening anti-corruption laws will make it easier for corrupt politicians and criminals to launder money through U.S. real estate.
Former FBI agent Debra LaPrevotte, who helped launch the agency’s Kleptocracy Initiative, warned that failing to regulate anonymous property transactions would have dire consequences.
“We’re supposed to lift people up to our level, not go down to theirs,” she said, referring to how the U.S. has become a haven for foreign kleptocrats.
She noted that Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha looted billions from Nigeria in the 1990s, much of which was hidden in foreign assets before being seized by international authorities.
Experts also argue that allowing corrupt politicians to launder money through real estate distorts local housing markets, making properties unaffordable for average citizens while enabling criminals to operate freely.
“The U.S. is one of the easiest places to hide dirty money in the world,” said Scott Kalman of Transparency International U.S.
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