Aisha Achimugu: Nigerian businesswoman speaks out on EFCC ordeal

Nigerian businesswoman Aisha Achimugu has issued a public statement calling for the protection of her life, her children's lives, and her privacy. She also demands an end to what she describes as a "misleading media trial" and respect for court orders, particularly concerning her investments estimated at over $100 million in the Oil & Gas sector and other industries.

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This is a call for the protection of my life, the lives of my children, the protection of my privacy, an end to the misleading media trial on my person and the companies I have built with credibility and capacity over several years, the respect of Court Orders, and the protection of over $100 Million I have within the Oil & Gas sector, and several sectors both in Nigeria and International.

Achimugu, an accountant and widow of the late Engr. Sulaiman Achimugu, a former head of the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), emphasized her family's long-standing reputation for integrity. She presented herself as a mother, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and business developer who has spent decades building indigenous capacity and employing hundreds of Nigerians, contributing significantly to the national economy.

She alleges that for nearly two years, she has been subjected to "oppression, character assassination, intimidation, and the deliberate dissipation of my lawfully acquired personal property" by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), led by its current Chairman. Achimugu contends these actions violate the principles of the rule of law and natural justice enshrined in Nigeria's constitution.

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For nearly two years now, I have been subjected to the worst kind of oppression, character assassination, intimidation and the deliberate dissipation of my lawfully acquired personal property through the malicious actions of agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), led by its current Chairman.

Achimugu stated that her prolonged silence was not due to fear or guilt but a matter of personal restraint and national interest. She expressed appreciation for the enabling environment Nigeria has provided for her businesses over the past three decades, citing an international roadshow spanning over 30 countries to promote the nation as an example of her commitment.

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I state categorically that I refrained from speaking out purely out of personal restraint and national interest.