An Arewa Group of Lawyers has risen in anger over the invasion of the home of prominent socialite and businesswoman, Aisha Suleiman Achimugu, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Achimugu’s Abuja home, located on Number 51, Hassan Katsina, Asokoro, was reportedly invaded by Operatives of the EFCC hours after the Commission declared her wanted.
She had been invited through a letter dated February 4, 2025, by the EFCC to appear in its Port Harcourt Zonal Headquarters on March 5, 2025.
It is an invitation she did not honour and instead, allegedly, travelled out of the country.
That prompted the EFCC to declare her wanted, and thereafter, reportedly, invaded her home in a fruitless search for her.
In her absence, the operatives met her aged mother, whom, it is alleged, they harassed.
It is the alleged harassment of Achimugu’s aged mother which has irked the Arewa Group and Lawyers.
In a statement which condemned, in strong language, the alleged harassment of Achimugu’s mother, the Groups said: “Just when we and other Nigerians thought it was over having declared Achimugu wanted over yet unsubstantiated allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering, the armed men of EFCC have invaded her house.
“Despicably, at Aisha’s house located onto 51, Hassan Katsina in Asokoro, Abuja, the operatives resorted to the harassment of her old mother who may not be aware of the allegations.
“We condemn this brazen act of assault in its entirety and call on relevant authorities, civil societies, the media and the public to rise up and protect the innocent old woman and other members of Alisha ‘s family.”
The EFCC has dismissed reports suggesting that its investigation of Achimugu is connected to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
In a statement on Friday, the EFCC clarified that the probe into Achimugu is solely related to allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering, emphasizing that “the investigations of Achimugu have no correlation of any kind with the two political actors.”
The Commission revealed that it began investigating Achimugu in 2022. Although she obtained a court injunction to prevent her arrest, the Federal High Court in Abuja vacated the order on February 19, 2025.
The court ruled that “no court has the power to stop the investigative powers of the Police or EFCC or any agency established under our laws to investigate crimes when there is reasonable suspicion of commission of a crime or ample evidence of commission of an offence by a suspect.”
Additionally, the court upheld an interim forfeiture order on assets linked to Achimugu, dismissing her legal challenge as lacking merit.
The EFCC stressed that its case against Achimugu is independent of any political figure, stating that there is no “immediate or remote nexus with any politician or any veiled or open reference to any political engagement or transaction.”
Reaffirming its commitment to impartiality, the EFCC urged the public to trust in its professionalism, adding, “The EFCC is non-partisan and non-sectarian.”