‘Only $50,000, N13m Cash Found During EFCC Raid Of My House’, Says Businesswoman Achimugu

Businesswoman, Aisha Achimugu, has denied allegations that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered $13 million from her residence, insisting that only $50,000 and N13 million belonging to her mother were found during a raid on her home.

Achimugu, who has been linked to an alleged $13million forfeiture case tied to Lagos State government funds, made the clarification on Monday while speaking during ‘Politics Today’, a current affairs programme on Channels Television, where she addressed growing public scrutiny over the reported seizure.

Responding to questions about the alleged discovery of $13 million in her home, Achimugu said the matter was already before the court and declined to delve into details.

“I won’t go so much into the detail of the $13 million. As you know, it’s a matter in court. It would be prejudiced for me to talk about what is already in court,” she said.

She, however, strongly disputed the widely circulated claim that such a large sum was found in her residence.
“Let me correct an impression, $13 million was not found in my house when my house was raided,” Achimugu stated. “My house was raided, yes. But only $50,000 and N13 million belonging to my mum were found in my house, and then my personal belongings.”

The businesswoman also questioned the basis of the EFCC’s public claims, suggesting that information attributed to the agency may not reflect a formal legal position.

“What is published on the website of the EFCC is about a certain state. I want to believe that is not a Lagos State because that hasn’t been thrown at me,” she said.

Achimugu further dismissed the notion that she would keep such a large amount of money at home, stating, “I’m not a bank, so I won’t keep $13 million in my house.”

Explaining why she kept foreign currency at home, she said it was for practical family needs.

“I have kids who go to school abroad, so it is important to keep such currencies at home for emergencies,” she added.

Beyond the controversy, Achimugu also spoke about her business interests in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, revealing that her company participated in recent offshore licensing rounds.

“There were two big processes in the deep offshore bid round between 2022 and 2023, and another mini bid round between 2023 and 2024. We participated in those processes as an oil and gas company,” she said.

According to her, the company emerged successful through a transparent process.

“By the grace of God, we won the process very transparently. It was a public process; it wasn’t selective,” Achimugu said, confirming that her company, not she personally, owns an oil block. “My company, not me,” she clarified.