The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared that Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, an ally of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, wanted over money laundering and criminal conspiracy allegations.
Achimugu, who is accused of secretly funnelling funds to
opposition leaders Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 elections, was
officially declared wanted in a circular issued by the anti-graft agency on
Friday.
The EFCC, in its statement, called on the public to provide information about her whereabouts, listing her last known address as 6C, Rudolf Close, Maitama, Abuja.
The circular, signed by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity,
Dele Oyewale, stated: "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: [email protected] or the nearest Police
Station and other security agencies."
This development follows an exclusive report by Peoples
Gazette, which revealed that President Bola Tinubu was "furious and felt
betrayed" after receiving intelligence that funds linked to Sanwo-Olu’s
ally, Achimugu, had made their way to Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar.
The report suggests that Tinubu viewed the situation as a
serious act of political betrayal, potentially endangering Sanwo-Olu’s
political career.
A top government official told Peoples Gazette: “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 investigating Achimugu’s financial activities
allegedly traced large sums to both Obi and Abubakar after the 2023 elections,
raising questions about Sanwo-Olu’s political allegiance.
The Gazette further reported that the funds may have been
distributed as part of a compromise to secure Sanwo-Olu’s re-election after
Tinubu’s shock loss in Lagos during the presidential polls.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, a protégé of Tinubu, now finds himself at
the centre of a political storm that could jeopardise his political career.
Analysts suggest that the EFCC’s sudden interest in Achimugu is a sign that the
presidency may be preparing to cut ties with the Lagos governor.
In a related development, on March 14, 2025, SaharaReporters
exclusively reported that President Tinubu had disclosed that he stepped in to
facilitate the reinstatement of Mudashiru Obasa as the Speaker of the Lagos
State House of Assembly after detecting the influence of the state executive,
led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in Obasa’s impeachment.
According to sources present at a meeting that Tinubu held
with state lawmakers, the President expressed concern over Sanwo-Olu’s level of
influence, stating that it was troubling for the governor to wield such power
and that he had a vested interest in who became the Speaker of the Assembly.
The meeting was held to address the leadership crisis within
the Lagos State House of Assembly.
An official familiar with the investigation stated: “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.”
Atiku Denies Allegation
Reacting to the allegations, former Vice President Atiku
Abubakar vehemently denied ever receiving funds from Sanwo-Olu, calling the
claims "a blatant lie from the pit of hell."
In a statement released by his media office, Atiku said:
"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 claimed that the allegations were
“contrived political hogwash” designed to discredit opposition leaders ahead of
the 2027 elections.
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