By: Sultan Usman
Claim: Several social media posts allege that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has recovered a large sum of money belonging to Aisha Buhari, wife of Nigeria’s former President Muhammadu Buhari, in the United Kingdom. The posts further imply that the funds were linked to corruption or hidden assets traced to her.
FALSE
Verdict: False
There is no credible evidence that the FBI has recovered or seized any funds from Aisha Buhari in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. The claim appears to be another iteration of recurring online misinformation linking the Buhari family to alleged hidden foreign assets.
Full Text:
In late October 2025, social media platforms, particularly Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), were flooded with posts claiming that the FBI had uncovered large sums of money belonging to Nigeria’s former First Lady in the UK. Some versions of the story mentioned “millions of dollars” while others exaggerated the figure to billions, allegedly found in cash and gold reserves.
While Aisha Buhari has occasionally been the subject of social-media criticism, there has been no official allegation or indictment linking her to financial misconduct or foreign asset hoarding. She has, in the past, publicly denied rumours of mismanagement of funds related to her official travels and charitable projects.
These claims gained traction largely because of the sensitive topic of corruption and the widespread frustration Nigerians feel toward the political elite. However, despite the virality of the story, no official statement, media coverage, or court filing supports the allegation. No official statement from the FBI, UK NCA, or Nigerian authorities confirming such recovery.
Verification:
A search through official FBI releases, the U.S. Department of Justice press archives, and the UK National Crime Agency (NCA) records yielded no mention of Aisha Buhari in any ongoing or concluded asset recovery case. Furthermore, credible international media outlets such as BBC, Reuters, Al Jazeera, and Premium Times have made no reference to such a recovery or investigation.
Also, using Myaifactchecker we found no credible evidence from major Nigerian outlets to support the looting allegation.
Conclusion:
The claim that the FBI recovered funds belonging to Aisha Buhari in the UK is false. There is no factual or legal basis for the allegation, and it appears to have originated from unverified social-media sources. The fact that the said report also quoted a false statement by U.S President, Donald Trump raises a red flag. While asset recovery and corruption investigations involving Nigeria do occur, this particular story is another example of how misinformation can exploit public frustration to spread false narratives.
