Aisha Achimugu Set to Surrender to EFCC After Month-Long Standoff

Businesswoman and socialite Aisha Achimugu will surrender to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning on Tuesday, a month after the agency declared her wanted over allegations of money laundering and corruption. Her legal team informed the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday that she intends to honour the EFCC’s invitation and is prepared to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.

Ms Achimugu, CEO of Felak Concept Group, a conglomerate with interests in engineering, maritime, oil, gas, and IT, was declared wanted by the EFCC on March 28. The agency accused her of involvement in criminal conspiracy, money laundering, corruption, and unlawful possession of assets linked to the controversial MBA Trading and Capital Limited scheme.

In response, she filed a suit on April 3 against six security agencies — including the EFCC, ICPC, Nigeria Police Force, DSS, Civil Defence, and Immigration — seeking to block her arrest. She claimed that the declaration violated her rights to dignity, privacy, and freedom of movement, citing medical treatment in the UK as the reason for missing an earlier EFCC summons.

Her lead counsel, Senior Advocates of Nigeria Kehinde Ogunwumiju and Chikaosolu Ojukwu, told the court that Ms Achimugu had sworn an affidavit expressing her readiness to attend the EFCC interview scheduled for April 29. They asked the court to maintain her existing administrative bail and criticised the EFCC for serving them with a counter-affidavit only days before the hearing.

EFCC counsel Ekene Iheanacho acknowledged that Ms Achimugu was previously on administrative bail but alleged she had breached its terms by not honouring earlier invitations. He noted that the commission had already secured a court judgement dismissing a similar rights enforcement suit filed by her in February.

Presiding judge Inyang Ekwo ruled that there was no dispute regarding Ms Achimugu’s stated willingness to appear before the EFCC. He ordered that she must present herself to the agency as promised and directed the EFCC to produce her in court the following day, April 30, to confirm her compliance and cooperation.

Associates of Ms Achimugu, who has known links to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, have criticised the EFCC’s actions as politically motivated. Her legal team argues that the public declaration branding her as wanted was premature and failed to account for her medical situation abroad.