Fact-check: No, Nigerian Minister Nyesom Wike Was Not Arrested in the US
- A viral post on X alleged that Nigerian minister Nyesom Wike was arrested at a US airport and transferred to a Washington D.C. prison over his role in the 2023 presidential election
- However, checks by TheTalk.NG found no evidence to support this claim, and Wike was seen presiding over a security meeting in Abuja on February 7, 2025
- The report confirms that the arrest story is false, as there are no records of a US executive order targeting Nigerian politicians
TheTalk.NG journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 4 years of experience in fact-checking.
Washington, USA – A post by a blog on X (formerly Twitter) claimed that Nyesom Wike, the incumbent minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has been arrested in the United States (US).
The poster, ‘Celebrity Blogger’, alleged that Wike was seized at a US airport and ‘transferred to Washington D.C. prison over the 2023 presidential election crime’.
Social media users on Facebook are claiming that Nigerian minister Nyesom Wike was arrested at an airport in the United States.
Photo credits: Anadolu, Yasuyoshi ChibaSource: Getty Images
The post, published on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, reads:
“Breaking News: Wike Arrested at U.S. Airport, Transferred to Washington D.C. Prison Over 2023 Presidential Election Crime.
“The ex-governor was arrested in accordance with Trump’s recent order to arrest all Nigerian politicians on sight.”
Wike’s support for Tinubu not a crime
In the buildup to the 2023 presidential election, Wike, who was governor of Rivers state at the time, solicited votes for the current president, Bola Tinubu — abandoning Atiku Abubakar, flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Tinubu, who would go on to win the general election, polled 231,591 votes in Rivers while Atiku secured 88,468 votes.
At the Thanksgiving service in December 2024, Wike promised to support Tinubu all over again if the opportunity presented itself.
He said:
“I have no regrets. I have no apologies. If the opportunity comes, I will do the same thing.”
On May 3, 2023, just days before his swearing-in, Tinubu said he could not have won the presidential election without Wike’s support.
He said:
“I couldn’t have done it without some structural support you gave me which I can’t describe or repay.”
Tinubu would later appoint Wike as minister of the FCT.
Has Trump’s orders affected Nigerian politicians?
The start of Donald Trump’s second term as US president has been marked by a flurry of executive orders.
Trump has signed more than 50 executive orders as of Thursday, February 6, the most in a president’s first 100 days in more than 40 years.
But did Trump order US authorities to arrest all Nigerian politicians on sight? TheTalk.NG checked.
Local and foreign media have tracked the speeches and decisions Trump has made and executive orders he has signed since his inauguration.
Trump’s executive orders on immigration have targeted illegal immigrants entering the US from the country’s southern border with Mexico and Mexican gangs and cartels.
If he banned politicians from Nigeria or any other country from entering the US, the media would likely report on this development.
Moreover, today, Friday, February 7, 2025, Wike presided over the first meeting of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) security committee in the Year 2025 in Abuja.
There is no evidence to support the claim that Wike was arrested at a US airport and “transferred to Washington DC prison” due to his role in the emergence of Tinubu as Nigeria’s 16th president. The claim is thus false.
Wike urges Nigerians to stay calm
Earlier, TheTalk.NG reported that Wike called on Nigerians to remain calm and patient in light of the current economic difficulties the country is facing.
The FCT minister emphasised that the policies being implemented by President Tinubu were fundamentally aimed at the nation’s betterment.
Source: TheTalk.NG
