Businesswoman and socialite Aisha Achimugu has declared hunger strike in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody following her arrest early Tuesday.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Achimugu, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Felak Concept Group, was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon her arrival from London at about 5 a.m. on Tuesday.
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One of her lawyers, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday that the woman arrived voluntarily from London to honour EFCC’s invitation before her arrest by operatives of the commission.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Mr Ojukwu recalled in the statement that Ms Achimugu had on Monday intimated the Federal High Court in Abuja of her willingness to visit the EFCC on Tuesday.
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Mr Ojukwu explained that the planned visit was in connection with an ongoing investigation into an alleged case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering brought against her.
”In the light of what transpired in court on Monday, our client returned based on the undertaking before the court to honor the EFCC’s invitation, but was arrested at the airport.
”She has immediately gone on a hunger strike. She is a prisoner of conscience and our stand in the arrest is that it has run contrary to the rule of law,” he said.
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NAN reports that efforts to reach out to the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on the arrest of Ms Achimugu proved abortive as the phone rang out on several attempts.
Mr Ojukwu said Ms Achimugu is a well-known business magnate, adding that her Felak Concept Group, of which she is the CEO, is a consortium comprising several companies in engineering, maritime, oil and gas, and information technology.
The EFCC had declared Ms Achimugu wanted in a 28 March public notice over her alleged involvement in criminal conspiracy, money laundering, corruption, and possession of unlawfully acquired property, in connection with the controversial MBA Trading and Capital Limited scheme.
On 3 April, she filed a fundamental human rights enforcement suit to restrain the EFCC and other agencies sued as co-defendants from arresting or detaining her.
Other agencies she sued alongside EFCC the Nigeria Police Force, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).
At Monday’s proceedings, her lawyer informed the judge, Inyang Ekwo, of her willingness to return to the country from the United Kingdom and surrender herself to the EFCC for interrogation.
The judge, in response, issued an order asking her to honour her commitment to honour EFCC’s invitation.
He also ordered the EFCC to produce her in court on Wednesday.
EFCC’s case against Achimugu
The EFCC shared details of its case against Ms Achimugu in a court filing.
It said in an affidavit filed in response to an application instituted by Ms Achimugu that on 12 February 2024 the socialite visited its office with her lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, and wrote a statement.
The commission said in the statement, she explained some of the huge funds which passed through her corporate bank accounts.
It said that Mrs Achimugu admitted that the sum of N8.71 billion was paid by her partners as investment fund into purchase and payment of signature bonus for the acquisition of an oil bloc on 8 November 2022.
It said further investigation however revealed that Mrs 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 Bureau De Change (BDC) operators who in turn made payments to the Federal Government via corporate accounts.
The commission alleged that the ultimate sources of the said sum of $25.3 million used in the acquisition of the oil blocs were not linked to her lawful earning 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 Mrs 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 Mrs Achimugu operates a total of 136 bank accounts across ten different banks both in her personal and corporate names.
(NAN)
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