EFCC Arrests Wanted Socialite Aisha Achimugu at Abuja Airport

 Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested prominent Nigerian businesswoman and socialite Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, at approximately 5 a.m., shortly after her arrival from London. 

The 51-year-old, declared wanted by the EFCC in March 2025 for alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering, was apprehended following a Federal High Court order issued on April 28, requiring her to appear before the agency, as reported by Punch Nigeria and Daily Post Nigeria. Achimugu, an indigene of Ofu Local Government Area in Kogi State, is the managing director of Felak Concept Group, a firm specializing in engineering, consultancy, and maritime operations.

The EFCC’s investigation centers on Achimugu’s company, Ocean Gate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited, which acquired two oil blocks—Shallow Water PPL 3007 and Deep Offshore PPL 302-DO—for $25.3 million, allegedly through cash payments to bureau de change operators. The agency claims the funds’ sources are untraceable to legitimate earnings and that the acquisition involved bribes to officials of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), with no exploration or production commenced on the blocks, per Tribune Online. Achimugu was summoned on March 5, 2025, but reportedly left Nigeria the following day, prompting an arrest warrant.

Her lawyers, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN) and Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), confirmed she returned voluntarily to honor a court undertaking, as stated in a fundamental rights suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/626/2025) filed against the EFCC and other agencies, per The Eagle Online. Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered Achimugu to report to the EFCC on April 29 and appear in court on April 30, noting she was on administrative bail, though the EFCC alleged she violated its conditions. The EFCC is probing charges of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretenses, and possession of unlawfully obtained properties, per Business Post Nigeria.

Achimugu’s arrest has drawn attention due to her high-profile status and alleged ties to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, though no official link has been confirmed. The case highlights the EFCC’s intensified efforts to combat financial crimes, with 1,200 convictions reported in 2024, per the agency’s records. As investigations proceed, Achimugu’s legal team is challenging the EFCC’s actions, seeking to protect her rights while the agency presses for accountability in a case that could expose broader corruption in Nigeria’s oil sector.