Businesswoman Aisha Achimugu was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission early Tuesday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, shortly after arriving from London.
Achimugu had been declared wanted by the anti-graft agency in March over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering. Her arrest came just a day after Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered her to appear before the EFCC on Tuesday and to attend court proceedings on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
According to The PUNCH, Achimugu’s lawyer, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu, described the EFCC’s action as a violation of the court’s directive.
“My client voluntarily returned to Nigeria based on an undertaking before the court to honour the EFCC’s invitation,” Ojukwu said.
“However, despite her compliance, she was arrested at the airport around 5 a.m.”
Ojukwu also revealed that Achimugu had begun a hunger strike to protest what he called a breach of her fundamental rights. “She is a prisoner of conscience,” he stated.
An EFCC source, who requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, defended the agency’s action. “We had already declared her wanted, and her arrest was necessary to ensure her appearance.
The court said she should not be detained if she showed up, but how could we be certain she would voluntarily present herself?” the official explained.
As of the time of this report, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale had not responded to inquiries regarding the incident.
More to come…
