Nigerian business magnate and socialite Aisha Achimugu has declared a hunger strike while in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), following her arrest early Tuesday morning.
According to a statement released in Abuja by her legal counsel, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chikaosolu Ojukwu, Achimugu was taken into custody around 5 a.m. at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after arriving from London.
The EFCC had declared Achimugu wanted in March 2025 on allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
Her legal team stated that she returned voluntarily to honour an invitation from the commission and had informed the Federal High Court in Abuja of her intention to report to the EFCC on Tuesday, in compliance with a court order issued the previous day by Justice I.E. Ekwo.
Ojukwu emphasized that Achimugu’s arrest occurred despite her willingness to cooperate.
“In light of what transpired in court on Monday, our client returned based on an undertaking to honour the EFCC’s invitation, but was arrested at the airport,” he said. “She has since gone on a hunger strike.
She is a prisoner of conscience, and we believe her arrest contravenes the rule of law.”
Efforts to obtain a comment from EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale were unsuccessful, as calls placed to his phone went unanswered.
Achimugu is the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Felak Concept Group, a conglomerate with operations across engineering, maritime, oil and gas, and information technology.