Aisha Achimugu Appears In Court

The operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), have arraigned Nigerian businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Naija News learnt that Achimugu, accompanied by two female EFCC officers, arrived in court at about 11:35 am.

Recall that Achimugu was detained on Tuesday by the 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.

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.