Businesswoman and Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd founder, Aisha Achimugu, has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of persecuting her, saying the agency’s actions have put her life, family and business interests at risk.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Achimugu alleged that the EFCC has subjected her to intimidation, oppression, character assassination and unlawful seizure of her personal property, insisting that she has never been convicted of any crime.
“I am not a criminal and I have never been convicted of any offence,” she said.
Achimugu claimed the anti-graft agency declared her wanted despite knowing her whereabouts and maintaining communication with her through official correspondence.
She further alleged that EFCC operatives raided her home, seized valuables including jewellery, cash and safes, and subjected her family to emotional distress.
According to her, the $13 million forfeited by a court was part of a $20 million payment made by her company to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for oil block transactions, adding that she has appealed the forfeiture order.
She also accused the EFCC of obtaining multiple forfeiture orders while legal proceedings challenging earlier actions were still pending in court.
Achimugu alleged that the commission’s actions have caused her to lose major business opportunities and damaged her international reputation.
She further claimed that after being declared wanted, her U.S. visa was revoked, and that the development also affected her ability to obtain another visa using her Grenadian citizenship, preventing her from attending a scheduled executive programme at Harvard University.
The businesswoman said the continued publicity surrounding the allegations has severely harmed her personal and professional life.
Her statement comes after courts ordered the forfeiture of several assets linked to her, including luxury vehicles, jewellery, cash and millions of dollars, following applications by the EFCC, which alleges the assets are proceeds of unlawful activities. The commission has continued its investigations, while some of the court decisions remain under appeal.
