Businesswoman and socialite, Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, was on Tuesday detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged involvement in a suspicious N8.71 billion oil block transaction.
Sources at the Commission disclosed to The Nation that Achimugu may be arraigned in court today following an intense eight-hour interrogation session with EFCC investigators in Abuja.
The embattled CEO of Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited was arrested upon her arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, from London in the early hours of Tuesday.
Her arrest came just a day after Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered her to appear before the EFCC on April 29 and before the court today, April 30.
136 Bank Accounts Under Probe
According to an affidavit deposed to by EFCC investigator Chris Odofin, Achimugu is under investigation for alleged criminal conspiracy, money laundering, obtaining money by false pretence, and possession of property suspected to be acquired through unlawful means.
The EFCC revealed that Achimugu operates 136 bank accounts across ten banks—many of them corporate—and is expected to account for the nature and origin of the transactions across these accounts.
Achimugu reportedly told investigators that the 8.71 billion naira in question was an “investment fund” for the acquisition of two oil blocks—Shallow Water PPL 3007 and Deep Offshore PPL 302-DO—through her company.
She claimed the funds were transferred to a government account with supporting documentation from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
However, EFCC investigations revealed that the $25.3 million payment for the oil blocks was routed through bureau de change operators, raising red flags over the sources of the funds and transparency of the acquisition process.
Likely Court Appearance Today
An EFCC source confirmed that Achimugu had been in custody for hours and may be taken directly to court.
“So far, Achimugu has been undergoing interrogation in the last eight hours. We are likely to detain her. We may take her from custody to the court in line with the existing order of the court,” the source said.
The official also noted that any bail application would be subject to court discretion, particularly since Achimugu had previously violated her bail terms.
Achimugu was declared wanted by the EFCC in March, triggering legal and media attention due to her profile and the scale of the alleged financial infractions.