The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has ordered the final forfeiture of properties worth billions of naira linked to businesswoman Aisha Achimugu to the Federal Government.
The assets forfeited include jewellery valued at N4.6 billion, 11 exotic cars worth N4.3 billion, $50,000, and N30 million.
Justice Jude Onwugbuzie granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)’s application for the final forfeiture and dismissed objections filed by Achimugu.
The ruling comes months after Achimugu lost $13 million to the Federal Government following a March 25 judgment by the Federal High Court, which ordered the final forfeiture of the funds linked to her and her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd.
According to the EFCC, the forfeited funds were suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and were allegedly used by Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd. to acquire oil blocks from the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
Achimugu’s legal team argued that the $13 million represented legitimate business earnings and gifts received by their client. However, the anti-graft agency rejected the claim, stating that Achimugu failed to personally appear before the court to justify the source of the funds.
The EFCC further alleged that part of the money originated from funds transferred by a state government to contractors handling public projects but was later traced to Oceangate despite the absence of any contractual relationship between the company and the state government.
The latest judgment marks another legal victory for the EFCC in its ongoing investigation into the assets and financial dealings linked to Achimugu.
