My Life, Children at Risk Over EFCC Persecution, Says Aisha Achimugu

"I have never been known to be a troublemaker. I am not a criminal and I have never been convicted of any offence that I did not own up to," she said.

Businesswoman and Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd founder, Aisha Achimugu, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of waging a sustained campaign of intimidation, harassment and character assassination against her, insisting she is "not a criminal" despite ongoing legal proceedings involving her assets.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Achimugu alleged that the anti-graft agency's actions had endangered her life, threatened the safety of her children and damaged her business interests through what she described as misleading public narratives.

She said the EFCC's actions had unfairly tarnished her reputation, leading to significant financial losses and disrupting investments built over several years.

The allegations come amid a series of court-ordered forfeitures secured by the EFCC against properties linked to the businesswoman. On July 16, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Apo ordered the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of jewellery valued at about N4.65 billion, 11 luxury vehicles worth N4.29 billion, as well as $50,000 and N30 million in cash.

Earlier, in March, a Federal High Court in Abuja also ordered the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to Achimugu and her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd, after the EFCC argued that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities.

Achimugu, however, maintained that the commission's actions were malicious, alleging that she was declared wanted despite the agency knowing her whereabouts and maintaining correspondence with her legal representatives.

According to her, EFCC operatives raided her residence shortly after the declaration, seized jewellery, safes and cash, and subjected members of her family, including her elderly mother who had recently undergone spinal surgery abroad, to emotional distress.

She further claimed that the $13 million forfeited by the court formed part of a $20 million payment made by Oceangate to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for petroleum prospecting licences.

Achimugu said payment records had been submitted to the NUPRC, arguing that the transactions were legitimate. She added that the forfeiture order is currently being challenged on appeal.

The businesswoman also alleged that EFCC operatives carried out a second raid on her residence in January 2026, during which vehicles on her premises were removed without regard to ownership or condition.

She accused the commission of resorting to obtaining fresh ex parte forfeiture orders instead of defending pending suits she had instituted over the seizures.

Beyond the asset forfeiture, Achimugu alleged that the EFCC's actions negatively affected her international travel, claiming the commission influenced the revocation of her United States visa and frustrated her plans to attend an executive programme at Harvard University.

She said the developments also affected the use of her Grenadian passport, preventing her from obtaining another visa.

"I have never been known to be a troublemaker. I am not a criminal and I have never been convicted of any offence that I did not own up to," she said.

The EFCC has consistently maintained that the forfeiture orders were obtained through lawful judicial processes as part of its ongoing investigations into alleged money laundering and illicit financial transactions involving Achimugu and her company. The legal disputes remain before the courts.