Aisha Achimugu, the founder of Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Limited, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of persecution, intimidation and abuse of legal processes, claiming that the agency’s actions have placed her life and business interests in danger.
The businesswoman made the allegations in a statement released on Wednesday, where she maintained that she had done nothing wrong and was being unfairly targeted by the anti-graft agency.
According to Achimugu, the EFCC has continued to portray her as a criminal despite the absence of any criminal conviction against her.
She said the situation has caused serious damage to her reputation, affected her business operations and created hardship for her family.
“I have never been known to be a troublemaker. I am not a criminal and I have never been convicted of any offence,” she stated.
Achimugu alleged that the commission’s actions amount to a deliberate campaign aimed at destroying her image and weakening her business empire.
She claimed that the agency’s repeated court actions, public statements and enforcement operations have led to the loss of business opportunities and exposed her family to emotional distress.
The allegations come shortly after a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Apo ordered the final forfeiture of several assets linked to her in favour of the Federal Government.
The assets reportedly include jewellery valued at more than N4.6 billion, luxury vehicles worth over N4.2 billion, as well as cash sums in naira and foreign currency.
The forfeiture followed an earlier ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja which granted the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to Achimugu and her company after the EFCC argued that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities.
However, Achimugu insisted that the matter remains before the appellate court and that the funds in question were connected to legitimate business transactions.
She explained that the $13 million formed part of payments made by Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Limited to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) in relation to petroleum prospecting licences.
According to her, evidence of the transactions had already been submitted to the relevant authorities. She said the records included multimillion-dollar transfers made through a South African financial institution into designated government accounts.
The businesswoman accused the EFCC of disregarding documents that, in her view, establish the legitimacy of the transactions.
She alleged that despite the records, the commission has continued to pursue allegations against her in court and through public communication.
Achimugu further claimed that the EFCC acted improperly when it declared her wanted despite ongoing communication between the commission and her legal representatives.
She alleged that shortly after the declaration, a large team of EFCC operatives stormed her residence and carried out a search operation during which valuables, safes and personal funds were taken away.
According to her, members of her family were subjected to intimidation during the operation. She specifically alleged that her elderly mother, who had recently undergone spinal surgery overseas, was forced to remain seated for several hours despite her health condition.
The businesswoman also claimed that EFCC officials later returned to the property while legal proceedings relating to the matter were still ongoing.
She alleged that vehicles found within the premises were removed using heavy equipment, including cranes and flatbed trucks.
She argued that some of the vehicles taken during the operation did not belong to her and expressed concern over possible damage caused during the exercise.
Achimugu said that efforts to recover the seized items through the courts were unsuccessful, alleging that the commission subsequently secured another ex parte forfeiture order covering some of the assets.
Beyond the legal battle, she claimed that the investigation has affected her international engagements and personal mobility.
According to her, her United States visa was revoked after she was declared wanted. She also alleged that she later faced difficulties obtaining travel clearance with her Grenadian passport, a development she said prevented her from attending a Harvard executive programme for which she had already enrolled.
She stated that the situation has resulted in significant financial losses and deprived her of important business opportunities both within and outside Nigeria.
Achimugu maintained that she has never attempted to evade investigators and has consistently cooperated with lawful requests from relevant authorities.
“My life is in danger,” she declared, while accusing the anti-graft agency of pursuing a campaign that has endangered her safety and undermined years of business investments.
