Oceangate founder accuses anti-graft agency of terrorizing family, seizing N9bn assets, and sabotaging her US visa over unproven allegations
Aisha Achimugu, the oil magnate who threw a lavish $1.5 million 50th birthday bash in Grenada, is now fighting for her reputation and her life—as she claims the EFCC has launched a relentless campaign to destroy her.
In a fiery press statement, the Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd founder accused Nigeria’s anti-graft agency of “oppression, character assassination, intimidation and the deliberate dissipation of my lawfully acquired personal property.”
“I’m not a criminal,” Achimugu declared. “But my life, my children, and my investments are now in danger.”
THE EFCC’S ALLEGED ‘REIGN OF TERROR’
The businesswoman detailed a disturbing pattern of what she calls state-sponsored harassment:
· Armed invasion: 30 EFCC operatives allegedly stormed her home, terrorized her family, and carted away jewelry, safes, and personal funds—while her elderly mother, fresh from spinal surgery abroad, was forced to sit for hours of “emotional humiliation.”
· Double forfeiture: After losing $13 million in a federal court forfeiture (which she’s appealing), the EFCC reportedly seized all her vehicles by crane and flatbed in a second home invasion—while her appeal was still pending.
· Visa sabotage: Achimugu claims the EFCC got her US visa revoked and even blocked her from using her Grenada passport to attend a Harvard executive program.
THE STOLEN OIL MONEY OR LEGITIMATE PAYMENT?
At the heart of the battle: $13 million that the EFCC says is proceeds of crime.
Achimugu insists it was a legitimate payment to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) for oil blocks—and she has bank tellers to prove it.
“The EFCC acknowledged this in their own motion, yet still obtained an ex-parte forfeiture without any established case or existing petition,” she said.
‘MY REPUTATION IS IN RUINS’
The businesswoman claims she’s lost multiple financial opportunities due to the EFCC’s “calculated smearing,” adding:
“I have never been known to be a troublemaker. I have never been convicted of any offence. I have never been confronted with any crime that I did not own up to.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
With her appeal pending and assets frozen, Achimugu is now fighting on multiple fronts legally, financially, and diplomatically.
The EFCC has yet to respond to her latest allegations.
