Efcc Declares Aisha Achimugu Wanted In 150 Million Fraud Case

EFCC accuses Aisha Achimugu of laundering 150.3 million, bribing officials, and illegally securing oil licenses using bureau de change operators and shell companies.

Court ruling clears EFCC to act after lifting an earlier injunction assets linked to Achimugu placed under interim forfeiture by Federal High Court.

Achimugu's team denies the arrest, calling reports a smear campaign civil groups criticize EFCCs timing and tone, calling the move politically charged.

Nigerias anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, has declared Aisha Achimugu, a businesswoman and philanthropist, wanted over alleged involvement in a 150.3 million fraud scheme. The EFCC accuses her of money laundering, criminal conspiracy, and the illicit acquisition of offshore oil assets.

According to investigators, Achimugu allegedly funneled 25.3 million through bureau de change operators to bribe regulatory officials and secure interests in petroleum prospecting licenses PPL 3007 and PPL 302-DO. Authorities claim the transactions were structured to obscure the illegal origin of the funds, hallmarks of a classic laundering operation.

The declaration follows a Feb. 2025 ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja that lifted a previous injunction barring the EFCC from arresting or investigating her. The court also upheld an interim forfeiture of assets linked to Achimugu, ruling that law enforcement agencies have a constitutional right to investigate credible allegations of financial crime .

In a separate but related probe, Achimugu is being investigated in connection with another N200 billion 125.3 million fraud case involving suspected misappropriation of public funds.

As part of its probe, the EFCC says it has linked Achimugu and her affiliated companies to 136 bank accountsallegedly used to facilitate suspicious financial flows.