The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arrested businesswoman Aisha Achimugu at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, shortly after her return from London.
Sources confirmed that Achimugu was taken into custody around 5 a.m. She had been declared wanted by the EFCC in March over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
On Monday, Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered Achimugu to present herself at the EFCC headquarters on Tuesday and to appear before the court on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
Her legal counsel, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu, confirmed the arrest in a statement to our correspondent. “Aisha Achimugu, who voluntarily returned to Nigeria from London, was arrested by the EFCC early Tuesday morning,” he said.
Ojukwu emphasized that his client’s return was in compliance with the court’s directive and a prior undertaking made to the court. “She came back in good faith to honour the EFCC’s invitation, but was arrested at the airport,” he noted, adding that Achimugu had since begun a hunger strike in protest, describing her as a “prisoner of conscience.”
A senior EFCC official, speaking anonymously due to lack of authorization to comment publicly, confirmed the arrest. “She was declared wanted, and we had a duty to act once she arrived. The court order did not prohibit her arrest, only her detention, and we could not assume she would voluntarily show up,” the official said.
As of the time of reporting, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale had not responded to multiple requests for comment.
