EFCC Declares Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu Wanted.

On March 28, 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s leading anti-corruption agency, declared Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, a prominent businesswoman and philanthropist, wanted for suspected money laundering of public funds. The wanted person notice was published through the EFCC’s official X account, has elicited overall reactions on social media, with most people raising an eyebrow at the circumstances under which she was accused of economic crimes.

Who is Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu?

Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, born on January 22, 1974, is a Nigerian businesswoman, philanthropist, and Chairman of Bluewave Exploration and Production Limited. She is the benefactor of national awards in the form of Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR) and has been awarded for her service towards developing the economy of Nigeria, most notably for being the first to propel the drive for a Deep-Sea Port in South-South Nigeria—a first in history for the first woman-owned company to have ventured into it. Achimugu established the Sam Empowerment Foundation (SEF), a non-governmental organization established to assist underprivileged groups. SEF was in the news in April 2024 with providing financial assistance to 500 members of the Aloji Community of Kogi State for the celebration of Ramadan, and scholarship to 21 students in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger).

Achimugu has also been greatly complimented for her work ethic, adaptability, and sunny disposition. But all this has been eclipsed now by the charges brought against her by the EFCC, which paint her conduct in a wonderfully opposite picture.

Details of the EFCC Wanted Poster

EFCC wanted poster, released at 10:01 UTC on March 28, 2025, features the picture of Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu and provides key information about her identity and the offense she is charged with. The poster, released by the EFCC’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Plot 301/302, Institution and Research, Cadastral District, Jabi, Abuja, Nigeria, bears the signature of Dele Oyewale, the agency’s Head of Media and Publicity.

The alert states that Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu is wanted in connection with a case of money laundering of public funds. It provides particular details that she is an indigene of Olu Local Government Area of Kogi State and that her last known address is 60, Rudolf Close, Maitama, Abuja. The EFCC calls on the public to provide any useful information regarding her whereabouts, listing some of the locations where she might be found, including Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ibor, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, Abuja, or the nearest police station and other security agencies.

The release of the poster comes after Naija News on March 17, 2025, reported that the EFCC had obtained a court-approved arrest warrant against Achimugu after she did not turn up for questioning on March 5. Sources from the EFCC, who requested anonymity, had earlier confirmed that Achimugu had left Nigeria a day before the scheduled appointment, which forced the agency to step up its action by declaring her wanted. The allegations are against money laundering and investment fraud, to which Achimugu has allegedly been granted access to public money, though what her actual government position is unknown.

Public Response and Context

The EFCC release has drawn a lot of attention on X, where the users had mixed reactions ranging from curiosity to disbelief and annoyance. Some doubted how common the cases of financial offenses involving Kogi State were, with people stating, “Why Kogi people like looting like this?” (@harrisdedon)

This is not the first Kogi State being in the news for financial scandal. EFCC has a track record of investigating major-state actors, including former governor Yahaya Bello, who was accused in 2022 of N80.2 billion fraud. In addition, the 2023 Human Rights Watch report also quoted the inability of the EFCC to secure convictions against individuals in authority figures owing to their impunity, quoting the way, despite all efforts, the agency has struggled to make concrete success in top-level cases of corruption.

A Fall from Grace?

Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu’s journey from celebrated philanthropist and businesswoman to fugitive was a dramatic turnabout in her public image. Her previous work, such as the Ramadan relief program in Kogi State, were all testaments to her commitment to doing good, so the EFCC allegations were a surprise to those who regarded her as a heroine. However, the EFCC’s pursuit of Achimugu shows the agency’s determination to fight financial crimes in Nigeria, as much as it has been criticized for what many see as its ineffectiveness in prosecuting influential individuals.

As the hunt for Achimugu grows more heightening, the public awaits information on this star case, one with far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s anti-corruption struggle and accountability of its ruling class. In the interim, the EFCC wanted poster serves as a stark reminder that, in the twisted socio-political landscape of Nigeria, the line between influence and notoriety is thin and easily crossed.

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