Court orders businesswoman Aisha Achimugu to honour EFCC invitation

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Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered Aisha Achimugu to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, to respond to questions relating to an ongoing investigation.

The court also directed that she must appear before it on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

According to a statement by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the ruling came in response to a suit filed by Achimugu against several 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).

During the proceedings, EFCC counsel Ekele Iheanacho presented a counter-affidavit sworn by one of its investigators, Chris Odofin, detailing the circumstances that led to Achimugu’s invitation. In the affidavit, Odofin stated that Achimugu is under investigation for alleged conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering, corruption, and possession of property reasonably suspected to have been acquired through unlawful means.

The EFCC noted that Achimugu initially honoured its invitation on February 12, 2024, during which she provided a written statement and was granted administrative bail through her lawyer and surety, Darlington N. Ozurumba. However, she allegedly failed to comply with the bail terms and instead filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit against the Commission.

According to the affidavit, Achimugu explained that an inflow of N8.71 billion into her corporate bank accounts was an “investment fund” for acquiring an oil block, claiming that the funds were transferred to a Federal Government account through her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited, supported by documentation from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

Further investigations, however, revealed that Oceangate Engineering acquired two oil blocks, Shallow Water PPL 3007 and Deep Offshore PPL 302-DO, at a combined cost of $25.3 million. The Commission alleged that the payments were made in cash through bureau de change operators, and that the ultimate sources of the funds could not be traced to any legitimate business or partnerships. The EFCC also alleged that the acquisition process was marred by corrupt practices and that neither oil block had commenced exploration or production.

The Commission maintained that Achimugu’s current suit was an attempt to obstruct its investigation, despite a prior judgment in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/451/2024 dismissing her claim of fundamental rights violations. The EFCC further disclosed that Achimugu operates 136 bank accounts across ten 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 directed by the court.