Court affirms final forfeiture of $13m connected to Lagos socialite Aisha Achimugu
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday affirmed the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to Lagos socialite, Aisha Achimugu, and her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd, to the Federal Government.
Delivering judgment, Justice Emeka Nwite held that the funds had been sufficiently established by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as proceeds of fraud and unlawful activities.
The court gave the ruling in a suit instituted by Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd, which sought to reclaim the funds.
Justice Nwite held that the company failed to satisfactorily explain the source of the money, noting that the EFCC met all legal requirements to justify its forfeiture.
The judge dismissed claims that the $13 million constituted gifts received by Oceangate through Achimugu, adding that Achimugu did not appear before the court to justify why the funds should not be forfeited.
He further observed that no individual who allegedly made the monetary gifts was called to testify.
According to the court, the applicant failed to discharge the burden of proving legitimate ownership of the funds or to counter the EFCC’s position that the money was proceeds of fraud.
The judge also held that Oceangate did not demonstrate any business activity that generated the funds, nor did it provide evidence of payments from customers.
Justice Nwite had, on August 22, 2025, granted an ex parte application by the EFCC for the interim forfeiture of the sum, directing the anti-graft agency to publish the order in a national daily for interested parties to show cause within 14 days.
