Businesswoman Aisha Achimugu has denied reports that $13 million was recovered from her residence during a raid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), insisting that only $50,000 and N13 million were found.
Mrs Achimugu made the clarification on Monday during an interview on Channels Television, pushing back against widespread claims surrounding the alleged discovery.
Mrs Achimugu said while her house was indeed raided, the amount reported in the public space was inaccurate.
“First, I won’t go so much into the detail of $13 million… it’s a matter in court. It will be prejudice for me to talk about what’s already in court,” she said.
“But let me also correct an impression that $13 million was not found in my house when my house was raided.
“My house was raided, yes, but only $50,000 and N13 million naira belonging to my mom was found in my house, and then again, my personal belonging.”
She added, “I don’t know where Nigerians got the impression that I had $13 million in my house. I’m not a bank, so I won’t keep $13 million in my house.”
The EFCC had earlier declared Mrs Achimugu wanted over alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
A Federal High Court in Abuja, in March, also upheld the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Ltd, to the Federal Government.
The commission alleged that the firm conspired with unlicensed Bureau de Change operators and bank officials to source the funds in cash, suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activity, to pay signature bonuses on two oil blocks acquired in 2024.
Mrs Achimugu also questioned the credibility of information published on the EFCC’s website, saying it lacked clarity.
“Let me also correct that what is published on the website of EFCC is certain state. I want to believe that it is not Lagos state because the state was not clear,” she said.
“So it’s what is out there. So I won’t also entertain that it is Lagos because that hasn’t been thrown at me.”
On how her company secured the oil blocks under scrutiny, Mrs Achimugu maintained that the process was transparent and competitive.
“We went through that process and by the grace of God we won the process very transparently. It was a public process, it wasn’t selective,” she said.
She explained that Oceangate participated in two separate bid rounds, deep offshore licensing between 2022 and 2023, and a mini bid round between 2023 and 2024, emerging successful in both.
Mrs Achimugu reiterated her confidence in Nigeria’s judicial system, noting that the matter remains before the court and will be resolved in due course.
The dispute adds to ongoing scrutiny around oil block allocations, financial transparency, and enforcement actions by anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria.
