Businesswoman Aisha Achimugu has dismissed reports that $13 million was recovered from her residence during a raid by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, stating that the actual amounts found were $50,000 and N13 million.
Achimugu made the clarification on Monday during an interview on Channels Television.
The EFCC had declared her wanted last year over alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering, following which a Federal High Court in Abuja upheld the final forfeiture of $13 million linked to her company, Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Ltd, to the Federal Government in March.
Speaking on the $13 million claim, Achimugu said the matter was already before the court and declined to go into further detail, but was emphatic that the figure was wrong.
“First, I won’t go so much into the detail of $13 million. As you know, it’s a matter in court. It will be prejudice for me to talk about what’s already in court. But let me also correct an impression that $13 million was not found in my house when my house was raided,” she said.
“My house was raided, yes, but only $50,000 and N13 million belonging to my mom was found in my house, and then again, my personal belonging. I don’t know where Nigerians got the impression that I had $13 million in my house. I’m not a bank, so I won’t keep $13 million in my house.”
Achimugu also disputed a statement published on the EFCC’s website, saying she did not consider it a valid legal document.
On how Oceangate came to acquire the contested oil blocks, she said the company participated in two rounds of the Federal Government’s oil licensing process and emerged successfully. “We went through that process and by the grace of God we won the process very transparently. It was a public process, it wasn’t selective,” she said.
