Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered businesswoman Aisha Achimugu to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, to respond to allegations related to an ongoing investigation.
The court also directed that Achimugu must be present before it on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, to continue proceedings in the matter.
The directive follows a suit filed by Achimugu against several security 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 its response, EFCC Counsel Ekele Iheanacho presented a counter-affidavit deposed to by investigator Chris Odofin. The affidavit detailed that Achimugu is under investigation for alleged conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretense, money laundering, corruption, and possession of properties suspected to have been acquired unlawfully.
According to the EFCC, Achimugu initially honoured an invitation on February 12, 2024, where she provided a written statement and was granted administrative bail through her lawyer and surety. However, she allegedly failed to meet subsequent reporting obligations, opting instead to file a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Commission.
The affidavit further revealed that Achimugu explained the inflow of N8.71 billion into her company’s accounts as “investment funds”; for the acquisition of an oil block, claiming the funds were transferred to the Federal Government via her firm, Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited. Documentation from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) was cited.
However, EFCC investigations found that Achimugu’s company acquired two oil blocks — Shallow Water PPL 3007 and Deep Offshore PPL 302-DO — at the cost of $25.3 million. Payments were allegedly made in cash through bureau de change operators, and the sources of the funds could not be traced to any legitimate business activities.
The Commission also alleged that the acquisition process was riddled with corruption, and neither of the oil blocks had commenced exploration or production activities as of the time of the investigation.
The EFCC stressed that Achimugu’s fresh legal action was a deliberate attempt to obstruct its investigation, despite a previous dismissal of her fundamental rights claim by the court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/451/2024.
Further findings by the commission also indicated that Achimugu operated a total of 136 bank accounts across 10 banks in both her personal and corporate names.
The case is scheduled to continue on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, while Achimugu is expected to report to the EFCC on Tuesday as ordered by the court.
