The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has officially declared Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, an ally of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, wanted over allegations of money laundering and criminal conspiracy.
Achimugu is accused of secretly funnelling funds to opposition leaders Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 general elections. The EFCC made this known in a public notice issued on Friday, urging Nigerians to provide any information on her whereabouts.
In the circular signed by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity for the EFCC, the agency disclosed Achimugu’s last known address as 6C, Rudolf Close, Maitama, Abuja.
“The public is hereby notified that AISHA SULAIMAN ACHIMUGU, whose photograph appears above, is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of Criminal Conspiracy and Money Laundering.
Achimugu, 51, is an indigene of Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. Anybody with useful information as to her whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng, or the nearest police station and other security agencies.”
Achimugu’s indictment comes amid growing political tensions in Lagos and at the national level. Peoples Gazette reported that President Bola Tinubu was furious and felt betrayed after receiving intelligence that funds linked to Sanwo-Olu’s ally had allegedly been funneled to Obi and Abubakar.
“The president was furious and felt betrayed when he was informed that this actually happened. He has absorbed deceptive political tactics all his life, but he was uncharacteristically hurt by this one.”
Security sources say that large sums of money were traced to both Obi and Abubakar shortly after the 2023 elections, raising questions about Sanwo-Olu’s political loyalty.
Political analysts believe that Achimugu’s EFCC indictment is an indication that the presidency may be considering distancing itself from Governor Sanwo-Olu, whose ties to opposition figures have reportedly unsettled Tinubu’s camp.
Further reports suggest that the alleged fund transfers may have been part of a political compromise to secure Sanwo-Olu’s re-election after Tinubu suffered a shocking defeat in Lagos State during the presidential polls.
In response to the accusations, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar strongly denied ever receiving funds from Sanwo-Olu or his associates.
In a statement released by his media office, Atiku described the claims as:
“A blatant lie from the pit of hell. We wish to state emphatically and for the record that this is a political hatchet job aimed at providing a much-needed justification to jettison Governor Sanwo-Olu, who appears to have fallen out of favour with the ‘Bourdillon Cult.’”
The statement further dismissed the allegations as “contrived political hogwash”, claiming they were designed to discredit opposition figures ahead of the 2027 elections.
This latest development comes at a crucial time for Governor Sanwo-Olu, who has been facing internal political pressure.
In a related event, SaharaReporters reported that President Tinubu recently intervened to reinstate Mudashiru Obasa as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly after allegedly discovering that Sanwo-Olu played a key role in Obasa’s impeachment attempt.
At a closed-door meeting with lawmakers, Tinubu reportedly expressed concern over Sanwo-Olu’s growing influence, stating that he was troubled by the governor’s political maneuvers.
“They should’ve known that the president has informants everywhere. And Governor Sanwo-Olu especially should have known that there was no way he could get away with being in bed with opposition figures who have sworn to undermine the president at every turn.”
With the EFCC’s pursuit of Achimugu, political observers say Sanwo-Olu’s position within Tinubu’s inner circle is now under serious threat. The coming weeks could determine whether the Lagos governor can survive this escalating political storm.
