Money Laundering: Court Orders Aisha Achimugu To Appear Before EFCC ….To Be Arraigned Tomorrow

A Federal High Court judge in Abuja, Justice I.E. Ekwo, has ordered Aisha Achimugu to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

This order on Aisha Achimugu is in relation to an ongoing investigation into allegations of conspiracy, money laundering, and corruption being conducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The court has also directed that Achimugu must appear before the court again on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.

The ruling came after Aisha Achimugu filed a suit against several law enforcement agencies, including the EFCC, the Nigeria Police Force, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and others.

This suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/626/2025, is connected to her efforts to block the investigation into her financial activities.

In response, the EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, filed a counter-affidavit, which was sworn by EFCC investigator Chris Odofin.

The affidavit outlines the accusations against Achimugu, including conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretenses, money laundering, corruption, and possession of property believed to have been unlawfully obtained.

The affidavit further detailed that Achimugu had previously responded to an EFCC invitation on February 12, 2024, provided a statement, and was granted bail, but allegedly failed to return for further questioning.

Achimugu had explained that a deposit of N8.71 billion into her company accounts was an “investment fund” for acquiring an oil block.

She claimed the funds were transferred to the government through her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited, with reference to documents from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).

However, EFCC investigations have revealed discrepancies in this claim.

According to the EFCC, Aisha Achimugu’s company acquired two oil blocks—Shallow Water PPL 3007 and Deep Offshore PPL 302-DO—for $25.3 million, with payments allegedly made in cash through bureau de change operators. These payments were not traced to legitimate business income.

Further investigations have also revealed that Achimugu controls 136 bank accounts across 10 banks, both in her personal and corporate names. The EFCC has argued that her current legal action is a deliberate attempt to block the ongoing investigations, despite a previous court ruling that dismissed her claims of violations of her fundamental rights.

As the investigation into the alleged N8.71 billion oil block deal continues, Achimugu is expected to report to the EFCC on Tuesday, April 29, and appear in court the following day to face the charges.