Nation
EFCC Arrests Wanted Socialite Aisha Achimugu at Abuja Airport
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arrested prominent businesswoman Aisha Achimugu at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after she arrived from London.
Achimugu, who was declared wanted in March by the EFCC over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering, was taken into custody around 5 a.m., according to sources.
Her arrest comes just a day after the Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice I.E. Ekwo, directed her to appear before the anti-graft agency on Tuesday, April 29, and before the court on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
Her lawyer, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu, confirmed the arrest in a message to journalists, stating that his client returned to Nigeria voluntarily in compliance with the court’s directives, only to be detained upon arrival.
“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,” Ojukwu said.
He condemned the action as a breach of the court order, which, according to him, did not authorise her detention. Ojukwu also revealed that Achimugu had begun a hunger strike to protest what she described as a violation of her fundamental rights, saying, “She is a prisoner of conscience.”
A senior EFCC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, defended the arrest, saying the agency had acted within legal bounds.
“We declared her wanted. The court asked her to appear before us today, but it didn’t restrict us from arresting her. How were we to be sure she would comply? Now that we have her, we can ensure her appearance,” the official said.
As of the time of filing this report, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale had yet to respond to inquiries regarding the arrest.
