A group of lawyers based in Abuja has asked the New York State Attorney General to investigate the financial records of Sahara Media Group Incorporated and its founder, Omoyele Sowore.
The request, dated October 7, 2025, was submitted to the U.S. Embassy in Abuja. The lawyers are calling for a detailed review of alleged tax evasion, misuse of nonprofit funds, and possible concealment of assets by Sowore and his media company.
The petition was filed by Heartland Advisors & Solicitors on behalf of Barristers Sunday Oluwole and Felix Olanrewaju Wolemiwa. They asked that the U.S. authorities examine how Sahara Media Group handled a $1.3 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation between 2016 and 2019, which was meant for journalist training programs in Nigeria.
According to the lawyers, there are concerns that the funds may not have been used transparently. They also requested that Sowore’s U.S. travel documents be suspended until the investigation is completed.
The petition mentioned a gap between Sowore’s declared assets to Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) — which include a ₦5 million property and a 2008 Toyota Camry — and public records showing that he bought a house worth $552,000 in the United States in 2018.
It also raised questions about his financial capacity, pointing out that his son attends a school in New Jersey with an annual tuition fee of $59,000. The lawyers urged the U.S. government to check Sowore’s personal and business tax filings for possible breaches of American tax and nonprofit laws.