The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to release businesswoman and socialite Aisha Achimugu from its custody within 24 hours.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, who delivered the ruling on Wednesday, said Achimugu should be freed under the same conditions of administrative bail previously granted to her by the anti-corruption agency.
This order comes just a day after Achimugu was arrested by EFCC operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Justice Ekwo also instructed all parties, including the EFCC, to return to court on Friday to report on their compliance with the order.
The ruling was issued on the same day the EFCC presented Achimugu in court, following a previous order requiring her to appear.
According to the EFCC: “Further investigation in the affidavit however, indicated that Achimugu’s company actually acquired two oil blocks, Shallow Water PPL 3007 and Deep Offshore PPL 302-DO at the cost of $25.3 million.
“Investigations showed that the payments were allegedly made in cash via bureau de change operators and that the ultimate sources of the funds could not be traced to any legitimate business income or partnerships.”
The Commission alleged that the acquisition process was fraught with corruption, adding that “despite the acquisition, neither of the two oil blocks had commenced exploration or production as of the time of investigation.”
The EFCC insisted that the legal action Achimugu initiated against it and other security agencies was “a calculated attempt to frustrate the ongoing investigation, despite a previous court decision in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/451/2024 dismissing her claim of fundamental rights violations.”