Atiku Abubakar: Attempt to visit U.S. declined, sells $2.95 million controversial house co-owned in the US

This mansion, a colonial-style building that sits in the middle of a 2.3 acres premises of lush green trees has a total of 21 rooms, multiple terraces which are said to be ideal for outdoor parties, a pool sauna, a gazebo, a gourmet kitchen and an outdoor swimming pool, according to Premium Times.

The property built in 1988 gained international notoriety in 2005 after a search by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) on the property in connection with a bribery scandal involving disgraced former US Congressman, William Jefferson. It was originally listed for $3.25m on Zillow and other online real estate websites on January 25, 2018 but was eventually sold for a pending offer of $2.95m on 26 February 2018 after an online auction.

According to sources, the 7,131 square feet house was bought by the couple in December 1999 for $1.75 million but they never lived in the mansion since Atiku Abubakar left office as vice president in 2007. However, house service staff lived in the mansion for some years, but the place was later locked up, and had remained unoccupied.

Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for Mr Abubakar, told Premium Times that the sale of the mansion was voluntary and strictly an investment decision. The sale of the mansion was not listed as a public auction, which is an auction done under a court order on behalf of government or its agencies neither was there any evidence that the sale is connected to the now infamous 2005 case or any other unknown criminal investigations.

In an interview with the BOSS newspaper last December, the former VP explained he had made attempts to visit the U.S. but was turned down for administrative reasons.

The VP reportedly said: “I applied but wasn’t issued a visa. However, they did not decline me categorically either. They’ve only said my application is going through administrative process. It is the sole prerogative of America to determine who they want in their country or not. I’m not running away from America.”