Patrick Idowu
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has arrested embattled businesswoman Aisha Achimugu at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Operatives swooped in around 5 a.m. on Tuesday, moments after Achimugu landed from London.
She had been declared wanted in March over allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
Despite a Federal High Court directive on Monday ordering her to appear before the EFCC on Tuesday and the court on Wednesday, her lawyer, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu, said the anti-graft agency defied due process.
“She returned voluntarily based on a court undertaking to honour EFCC’s invitation, yet was picked up at the airport,” Ojukwu said, branding the arrest a violation of her rights.
In protest, Achimugu reportedly began a hunger strike, which her lawyer described as a stand for justice, calling her “a prisoner of conscience.”
An EFCC source confirmed the arrest, defending the action as necessary to ensure compliance with the court order.
“We declared her wanted. The court said she must appear, not that we can’t arrest her,” the source stated.
The commission is expected to present her in court on Wednesday as ordered.
