EFCC detains socialite Aisha Achimugu upon return to Nigeria amidst money laundering probe

Aisha Achimugu, a well-known figure in Nigerian business and social circles, is now in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Her legal representative, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu (SAN), confirmed her detention to the press on Tuesday, stating that Achimugu voluntarily returned to Nigeria from London and was apprehended by EFCC operatives at approximately 5:00 a.m.

This development unfolds against a backdrop of a Federal High Court order issued on Monday by Justice I.E. Ekwo, instructing Achimugu to appear before the EFCC on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering.

The court had also directed her to appear before it on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, for a report on her appearance at the EFCC.

According to court filings, Achimugu, who had been declared wanted by the EFCC in March, had previously pledged her willingness to cooperate with the anti-graft agency. Her lawyer, Chief Ojukwu, expressed dismay at the arrest, calling it a breach of the court order and a violation of her fundamental human rights.

“Aisha Achimugu, who arrived voluntarily into the country from London, was arrested by the EFCC around 5 a.m. on Tuesday,” Ojukwu stated, adding, “In light of what transpired in court on Monday, my client returned based on the undertaking before the court to honour the EFCC’s invitation, but was arrested at the airport.”

He further claimed that Achimugu has commenced a hunger strike in protest of her detention, asserting she is a “prisoner of conscience.”

However, an anonymous senior EFCC official defended the agency’s actions, stating that Achimugu had been declared wanted and the arrest was lawful.

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The source noted that while the court instructed her to appear before the EFCC, there was no explicit restriction against arresting her upon arrival to ensure her appearance.

Aisha Achimugu, who is reportedly an ally of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the wife of the late Suleiman Achimugu, former Managing Director of the Pipeline and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), is under investigation for alleged “conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretense, money laundering, corruption and possession of property reasonably suspected to have been acquired through unlawful means.”

The EFCC had previously stated that Achimugu initially honored an invitation in February 2024 but subsequently failed to report back as agreed, leading to her being declared wanted.