Secrets Reporters
Documents obtained by SecretsReporters have revealed that Reno Omokri, a social commentator and political ally of President Bola Tinubu, quietly secured a brand-new luxury home in California, United States barely seven months after publicly backing the Nigerian leader.
We gathered from the documents that the property, a newly built, two-storey single-family residence is situated at 7765 Forestdale Way, Elk Grove, California, a fast-growing suburban enclave south of Sacramento. The property record revealed that the house was completed in 2024 and acquired by Bemigho R. Omokri in April 2024, with records showing full owner-occupier status.
Details buried in the documents which were x-rayed by SecretsReporters revealed that the house is a freshly constructed 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom property, spanning 1,932 square feet, with an attached garage, central heating and cooling, and a modern wooden construction typical of new American production homes.
Building permit records show the structure was developed by DR Horton, one of America’s largest homebuilders, under a “new production home” approval, finalised in April 2024. Additional permits seen by SecretsReporters reveal the installation of a rooftop solar photovoltaic system, giving the home a modern, eco-friendly design, a growing trend in California’s residential market.
SecretsReporters gathered that the former Tinubu Tormentor, who has now turned his praise singer after his ascension to the nation’s most coveted throne, purchased the California property for $573,500 on April 24, 2024.
(The house bought by Omokri at 7765 Forestdale Way, Elk Grove, California)
Official records have it that as of the time Omokri acquired the property, a dollar was exchanging for ₦1,900, implying that he splashed approximately ₦1.09 billion on the California-based house.
This online media also gathered that loan documents attached to the property show that the purchase was backed by two conventional mortgages. One, valued at $398,490, was obtained in May 2024 from American Financial Network Inc, while another $360,000 loan followed in October 2024 from ResiCentral LLC, a non-bank lending institution.
In October 2024, a Deed of Trust was registered in Omokri’s name, consolidating his financial stake in the property, records assessed by this publication revealed.
Elk Grove, where the home is located, is described in the document as a high-growth, family-friendly city with a population approaching 178,000 residents. We gathered that Median home values hover around $525,000, and rental properties fetch over $2,300 monthly, placing Omokri’s purchase squarely within the upper tier of the local housing market
(The house bought by Omokri at 7765 Forestdale Way, Elk Grove, California)
Official records have it that the area boasts top-rated schools, relatively low crime rates, and proximity to Sacramento, making it a magnet for professionals and investors alike.
In addition, the document shows no pre-foreclosure records, no company ownership flags, and lists the owner as an individual, not a trust or corporate entity. The mailing address for the owner matches the property address, reinforcing the owner-occupied status.
This is Mr. Reno’s first house as he has been a tenant all the years he lives in the US. He was placed under the draconian Nigerian government watch list since 2015 for criticising late President Muhammadu Buhari style leadership. His coming back to Nigeria despite previous years of Bola Tinubu’s criticism was facilitated by the West Africa anti corruption czar, Nuhu Ribadh who’s now the National Security Adviser (NSA) and also recommended him for the ambassador position, stated sources familiar with the development to SecretsReporters.
Apart from serving as a digital media aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Reno has never worked since after leaving the political appointment. He floated The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation on 16th January 2017 with registry number C3983945 with address as 1041 Spruce St, Brentwood, CA, 94513.
Prior to then, he registered Mind of Christ Christian Centre on 21st June 2015 in California, with same address as the latter. In 2013, his first company named Mind of Christ International School Limited never took off. It is not clear how he earns a living apart from supporting Presidential political figures.
Recall that prior to the 2023 Nigerian Presidential election, Omokri was a vocal critic of President Tinubu, publicly calling him a drug lord. For instance, in a post made on his Facebook page on June 28, 2022, Omokri wrote “The bigger issue with Tinubu is not his certificates, or lack of them. It is the fact he is a known drug lord who was involved in a heroin drug cartel in the US, and forfeited millions in drug funds to US authorities. As any lawyer will tell you, a forfeiture is an admission of guilt.
“We have court documents. We have the names of those involved and their past and current addresses. I again challenge Bola Tinubu to sue me if these facts are not accurate. He is not a fit and proper person to occupy the office of the President of Nigeria”.
However, months after the former Lagos governor’s ascension to the Presidency, Omokri, in a double-faced move that left Nigerians bemused, started publicly defending Tinubu’s policies and countering critics online.
Currently, Omokri is seen as the number one praise singer of the Nigerian leader, a move that has earned him an ambassadorial deal from Tinubu.
