Nigerian businesswoman Aisha Achimugu has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of intimidation, character assassination, and unlawfully seizing her personal property.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Ms. Achimugu, founder of Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd, claimed that “misleading information” from the anti-graft agency had endangered her family and crippled her investments.
The allegations follow recent court rulings ordering the final forfeiture of billions of naira worth of her assets to the Nigerian government.
Seized jewelry, cars, and millions in cash
Ms Achimugu’s public pushback comes after a Federal Capital Territory High Court ordered the final forfeiture of luxury items linked to her, including:
- Luxury Goods: Jewelry valued at ₦4.6bn (£2.3m) and 11 exotic cars worth ₦4.29bn.
- Cash Holdings: $50,000 (£38,000) and ₦30m in cash.
- Corporate Funds: $13m previously forfeited by a federal high court following EFCC claims that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.
Responding to the court orders, Ms. Achimugu insisted the $13m linked to her firm was legitimate capital intended for official payments to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for oil block licenses. She confirmed that an appeal against the forfeiture order is currently pending.
Allegations of home invasions and revoked visas
The businesswoman—who gained widespread attention in January 2024 for hosting a lavish seven-day 50th birthday celebration on the Caribbean island of Grenada—detailed two separate raids on her private residence by armed operatives.
She alleged that during an initial raid, officers “terrorized” her family and mistreated her elderly mother, while a second invasion in January 2026 resulted in her vehicles being towed away using cranes.
Ms. Achimugu further claimed the agency deliberately smeared her reputation internationally, leading to the revocation of her US visa and interfering with her secondary citizenship in Grenada, which subsequently prevented her from attending an executive programme at Harvard University.
“I am not a criminal, and I have never been convicted of any offence,” she said.
The EFCC has yet to publicly respond to her latest statement, though the agency maintains in court filings that the seized assets and funds represent proceeds of financial crime.
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