‘EFCC has put my life in danger, I’m not a criminal’- Aisha Achimugu

By Tolulope Oke

Businesswoman Aisha Achimugu has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of instigating the revocation of her United States visa and putting her life, children and investments in danger.

Achimugu, founder of Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Limited, denied being a criminal and alleged that the anti-graft agency had subjected her to oppression, intimidation and character assassination.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, she claimed the EFCC had deliberately damaged her reputation and dissipated property she lawfully acquired.

She said misleading information allegedly circulated by the commission had cost her several financial opportunities and created setbacks for her businesses.

Her allegations followed a July 16 ruling by a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Apo ordering the final forfeiture of assets linked to her.

The forfeited assets included jewellery valued at about ₦4.65 billion, 11 luxury vehicles worth ₦4.293 billion, $50,000 and ₦30 million in cash.

In March, a Federal High Court in Abuja also ordered the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to Achimugu and Oceangate.

The order followed an EFCC suit alleging that the money was connected to unlawful activities.

Achimugu, however, maintained that the $13 million formed part of a $20 million payment made by her company to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission for two oil blocks.

She said $2 million was paid through a South African bank for PPL 3007, while another $5 million was paid for PPL 302.

According to her, the $13 million represented the balance of the combined payment for PPL 302-DO and PPL 3007.

“Having failed to sustain that particular allegation, the EFCC turned its attention to the remainder of the same NUPRC payment that my company submitted,” she said.

Achimugu said she had appealed the forfeiture order and was awaiting the outcome.

The businesswoman also alleged that the EFCC declared her wanted despite knowing her whereabouts and exchanging correspondence with her.

She claimed that about 30 EFCC officers subsequently invaded her home, frightened members of her family and removed jewellery, safes and cash.

Achimugu further alleged that her mother, who had recently returned from spinal surgery abroad, was made to sit for hours without consideration for her age or health.

She was arrested by the EFCC at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on April 29, 2025, after being declared wanted over money-laundering allegations.

Aisha Achimugu alleged that EFCC operatives raided her home again on January 20, 2026, and removed every vehicle found on the premises using cranes and flatbed trucks.

She claimed the officers failed to consider the ownership of the vehicles or protect them from damage.

“When I sought the court’s intervention for the return of all my vehicles, after six months, and other seized personal items for almost two years, the EFCC, rather than defend that suit at the Federal High Court, instead again obtained a further ex-parte order of forfeiture from the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory,” she said.

Achimugu also blamed the commission for the revocation of her US visa, claiming she received notification of the decision on April 4, 2025, seven days after the EFCC declared her wanted.

She alleged that information supplied by the commission also affected an attempt to obtain a US visa with her Grenadian passport through the American Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados.

According to her, the visa was required to attend an executive programme at Harvard University for which she had already made arrangements.

“I discovered the most devastating information when I could not proceed with an application for a visa on my Grenada passport which was to enable me to attend my already booked and scheduled Harvard executive programme,” she said.

Achimugu insisted that the EFCC’s actions had endangered her family and damaged her standing locally and internationally.

“I have never been known to be a troublemaker. I am not a criminal and I have never been convicted of any offence that I did not own up to,” she stated.