Court orders businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu to honour EFCC invitation

Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered businesswoman Aisha Achimugu to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with an investigation on Tuesday at noon. Justice Ekwo, who gave the order in a ruling, also ordered the EFCC, upon the appearance of Achimugu at its office, to […]

Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered businesswoman Aisha Achimugu to appear before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in connection with an investigation on Tuesday at noon.

Justice Ekwo, who gave the order in a ruling, also ordered the EFCC, upon the appearance of Achimugu at its office, to return with her to court on Wednesday for report.

The development followed an application by Achimugu’s counsel, Kehinde Ogunwumiju, SAN, for an order to protect her client from being detained or harassed by the EFCC following her decision to honour the commission’s invitation for continuation of investigation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ekwo had, on April 11, ordered the EFCC and five other security agencies to file their defence in a suit instituted by Achimugu to stop her planned arrest and detention.

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Other security agencies listed in the fundamental rights enforcement suit are the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and State Security Service (SSS).

They also include the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

The judge had given the order following a complaint by Ogunwumiju that despite being served with the earlier order of the court for respondents to show cause why the applicant’s prayers should not be granted, none of them was in court as directed.

Achimugu, an industrialist, had  in an ex-parte motion marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/626/2025, sued the NPF, ICPC and SSS as 1st to 3rd respondents. (NAN)

The applicant, through her lawyer, also joined the EFCC, NSCDC and NIS as 4th to 6th respondents respectively in the motion dated and filed April 3.

She sought an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from threatening or harassing her with arrest, detention and invasion of her “properties or threatening to impede her fundamental right to freedom of movement, liberty, privacy and properties,” among others.

While given 10 grounds why her application should be granted, Achimugu said on March 28, the EFCC declared her wanted.

She said that her declaration as ‘wanted’ was unwarranted, unjustifiable, devoid of probable cause, and is calculated to discredit, humiliate, and subject her to public opprobrium, thereby causing irreparable harm to her reputation, personal dignity, and professional standing.

On April 11, the judge had given the respondents the last opportunity to appear before him to show cause why Achimugu’s reliefs should not be granted and adjourned until today for hearing.

When the matter was called on Monday, ICPC, SSS, EFCC and NIS were represented in court.

NAN reports that in the EFCC’s affidavit to show cause, the commission averred that on Feb. 12, 2024 when Achimugu was in their office with her lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, she wrote a statement.

The commission said in the statement, she explained some of the huge funds which passed through her corporate bank accounts. (NAN)