Operatives from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have apprehended businesswoman Aisha Achimugu at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Achimugu was taken into custody around 5 a.m. on Tuesday shortly after arriving from London.
A senior EFCC official confirmed the arrest to Channels Television in a phone interview on Tuesday.
Achimugu had been listed as wanted by the EFCC in March due to accusations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
Her arrest occurred a day after Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered her to present herself to the EFCC on Tuesday and to appear in court on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
According to a statement from EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the order was issued in response to a lawsuit filed by Achimugu against multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the EFCC, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
In their response to Achimugu’s application, EFCC Counsel Ekele Iheanacho informed the court about a counter-affidavit submitted by one of its investigators, Chris Odofin, detailing the circumstances leading to her summons.
Odofin’s affidavit revealed that Achimugu is under investigation for alleged conspiracy, fraudulent monetary acquisition, money laundering, corruption, and possession of property suspected to have been obtained unlawfully.
The Commission pointed out that Achimugu initially complied with its invitation on February 12, 2024, during which she provided a written statement and was later granted administrative bail through her lawyer and guarantor, Darlington N. Ozurumba.
However, she reportedly failed to return as agreed and opted to file a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Commission. The affidavit also indicated that Achimugu described the inflow of N8.71 billion into her corporate bank accounts as an “investment fund” intended for acquiring an oil block.
She asserted that the funds had been transferred to the Federal Government’s account via her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited, citing documentation from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Further examination revealed that Achimugu’s company had indeed acquired two oil blocks, Shallow Water PPL 3007 and Deep Offshore PPL 302-DO, at a cost of $25.3 million.
Investigations indicated that payments were allegedly made in cash through bureau de change operators, and the ultimate sources of these funds could not be traced to any legitimate business operations or partnerships.
The Commission also alleged that the acquisition process was marred by corruption. Additionally, despite the purchase, neither of the two oil blocks had commenced exploration or production by the time of the investigation.
The EFCC emphasized that Achimugu’s current lawsuit appears to be a deliberate attempt to obstruct the ongoing investigation, despite a prior court ruling in case No. FHC/ABJ/CS/451/2024 dismissing her claims of fundamental rights violations.