Solomon Ogba, former president of Athletics Federation of Nigeria, linked with 3 Dubai properties
Mar 28, 2026
By Odinaka Anudu
| FORMER President of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), Mr Solomon Omamoezi Ogba, is linked with three properties in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ commercial city. The findings are part of ‘Dubai Unlocked,’ a six-month investigation into the UAE’s fast-growing but opaque real-estate market, led by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in collaboration with more than 70 media organisations worldwide. Economy Post was the only Nigerian media organisation involved in the project. It was revealed that Mr Ogba, a former Delta State commissioner for sports and pioneer state auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is linked with the 3 Dubai properties worth $1.743 million as of 2024. They are located in posh areas in Dubai such as Burj Khalifa and Marsa Dubai. According to details of the investigation, one of the three properties is a hotel apartment, while another is simply described as an ‘apartment.’ There are no archtectural details about the 3rd one. While two of the properties contains the date of birth details of Mr Ogba as May 1, 1960, the third property at Marsa Duba gave his date of birth as 1969. But Mr Ogba celebrated his 65th birthday on May 1, 2025. He hails from Aviara in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State and is now a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). READ ALSO: Who is Dahiru Mangal linked with over 20 posh Dubai properties? Ogba’s profile Based on investigations, Economy Post found that while starting his career, Mr Ogba worked as an estate assistant at O.P Ibagere Co. Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Benin City, and also at Diya Fatilimehim & Co. Estate Surveyors and Valuer, Lagos. He also worked as a maintenance manager at Landmark Associates. He moved to politics and became the special assistant to the first executive governor of Delta State, Mr Olorogun Felix Ibru between 1991 and 1993. He later became the chairman of the Delta State Football Association between 1995 and 1999. Mr Ogba subsequently emerged as the sole administrator of sports at Delta State Sports Council, Asaba, between 1999 and 2000. He was appointed commissioner for youth and sport development by the James Ibori government in 2000. He held this position till 2007 when he left. In 2009, he became the president of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN), a position he held till 2017. He later emerged the 2nd vice president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC). He was the state secretary of the People’s Democratic Party in Delta State between 2008 and 2016, and Delta State representative on the board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between 2011 and 2013. 1n 2014, he became the 1st vice president of the Nigeria Olympic Committee, culminating into his membership of the Strategic Communications Advisory Group of the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). He is a member of the Commonwealth Integrity and Governance Commission till date. He is the chairman of Delta Mega Trend Limited and another company, Solid Works Limited. Politicians, police officers acquiring Dubai properties Economy Post earlier reported that no fewer than 300 Nigerian politicians, police officers, civil servants and other politically exposed persons (PEPs) have invested up to $2 billion (about N3 trillion) in Dubai’s property market over the past two decades. Investigations show that wives and children of politicians, judges and senior civil servants are heavily represented among the buyers, collectively holding more than 2,000 properties in prime locations across Dubai – the most populous city in the UAE and capital of the Emirate of Dubai. As of 2020, about 800 properties worth roughly $400 million were traced to Nigerian PEPs in Dubai. Many more have acquired new properties since then. New findings by Economy Post now put the figure at $2 billion across over 2,000 properties, reflecting a sharp rise over the past few years. According to the Dubai Land Department, Nigerians are the second-largest foreign buyers of property in Dubai after Indians before 2020, owning over 1,824 real-estate assets. Analysis indicates that PEPs, top security officials, civil servants and their relatives account for over 80 percent of all Dubai properties linked to Nigerians. READ ALSO: More Nigerian politicians acquire choice properties in Dubai – UAE sources To verify identities, Economy Post carried out extensive social-media checks and matched dates of birth contained in the records. “Buying properties in Dubai is normal for anybody,” said a university law lecturer, Mr Odinakachukwu Okeke. “It is not all politicians who stole public funds to acquire Dubai properties. However, there is so much money moving around the Dubai property market that is tied to corruption,” he added. The data shows that prominent Nigerian politicians mostly own flats, villas, studios, hotel rooms, and apartments. These properties are concentrated in upscale districts such as Burj Khalifa, Marsa Dubai, Al Merkadh, Palm Jumeirah, Wadi Al Safa, Madinat Al Mataar, and Nad Al Shiba First, among others. |
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About the Author
Odinaka Anudu
Editor and Managing Editor
Lagos, Nigeria
Odinaka Anudu is a seasoned journalist with nearly two decades of journalism experience. He has won 19 journalism awards and written thousands of stories for both local and international platforms. He has worked in eight different media organisations and travelled widely in various capacities. He is an investigative journalist, a newsroom leader, mentor and lecturer.
