Following her arraignment on Wednesday, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release businesswoman and socialite Aisha Achimugu within the next 24 hours.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, delivering a ruling on Wednesday, further directed all involved parties, particularly the EFCC, to appear before the court on May 2, 2025, to provide an update on their adherence to this court order.
Persecondnews reported that Justice Ekwo had on Monday ordered Achimugu to submit herself to the EFCC in connection with an ongoing investigation bordering on noney laundering and other offences.
Ekwo had directed that following her appearance at the EFCC office, the antigraft agency should bring her court to on Wednesday April 30, for report.
The EFCC had announced the arrest of Achimugu at 5.00 am on Tuesday at the Nnamidi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
She is being investigated in a case of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering, corruption, and possession of properties reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.
While she was previously arrested and questioned by the EFCC, she was released on administrative bail by the commission.
However, EFCC alleged that she jumped bail and declared Achimugu wanted.
The EFCC had in a statement urged the public to provide information about Achimugu’s whereabouts, “The public is hereby notified that AISHA SULAIMAN ACHIMUGU is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in an alleged case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering ”
The EFCC in its affidavit to show cause, averred that on February 12, 2024, Achimugu was previously arrested in their office with her lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba.
The commission said she had explained some of the huge funds which passed through her corporate bank accounts.
It said that Achimugu admitted the sum of N8, 710, 000, 000.00. (eight billion, seven hundred and ten million naira) was paid by her partners as an investment fund into the purchase and payment of a signature bonus for the acquisition of oil bloc on Nov. 8, 2022.
It said further investigation however revealed that Achimugu, through her company, Ocean Gate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited, acquired two oil blocs, namely Shallow Water -PPL 3007 and Deep Offshore-PPL 302-DO for the total sum of $25, 300, 000 (twenty-five million, three hundred thousand dollars) through majorly cash payments made to the Bureau De Change (BDC) operators who in turn made payments to Federal Government via corporate accounts.
The commission alleged that the ultimate sources of the said sum of $25,300,000 used in the acquisition of the oil blocs were not linked to her lawful earnings or income or any business partner.
“That the acquisition of the Oil Blocks was marred by corrupt practices, as bribes were paid to the officials of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission in the process.
“That none of the oil blocks assigned/allocated to Ocean Gate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Commission has commenced exploration/production from inception to date,” the EFCC said.
The anti-graft agency averred that following the decision of the court in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/451/2024, which dismissed Achimugu’s suit, the commission, in continuation of its investigation, sent letters to some agencies of government, including FIRS, CBN, etc.
It said further investigation revealed that Achimugu operates a total of 136 bank accounts across ten different banks, both in her personal and corporate names.
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