Federal High Court Orders Final Forfeiture of $13 Million Linked to Aisha Achimugu

The Federal High Court (FHC) in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to Aisha Achimugu and her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in ruling on a motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), held that neither Achimugu nor her company could prove that the funds were obtained legally.

The court dismissed claims by Oceangate’s lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, that the money was derived from gifts or legitimate oil and gas contracts, stating that these assertions were not supported by verifiable evidence. The judge also rejected arguments challenging the court’s jurisdiction to grant the interim forfeiture on August 22, 2025, while sitting as a vacation court.

Justice Nwite agreed with EFCC’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, that all relevant laws, including Order 46(5) of the FHC and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act 2006, were properly followed in issuing the forfeiture order. The judge also dismissed claims that the EFCC acted improperly, describing such arguments as “baseless.”

The ruling comes as part of ongoing efforts by the EFCC to recover assets linked to financial crimes and underscores the judiciary’s commitment to upholding anti-corruption laws in Nigeria.