A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the final forfeiture of assets valued at approximately ₦8.9 billion linked to businesswoman Aisha Achimugu, transferring ownership of the properties to the Federal Government.
The ruling followed an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which argued that the assets were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.
In its judgment, the court ordered the permanent forfeiture of a range of assets, including luxury vehicles, jewellery and other high-value properties allegedly traced to Achimugu.
The decision followed earlier interim forfeiture orders, after which interested parties were given the opportunity to show cause why the assets should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.
According to court proceedings, the EFCC presented evidence in support of its application, maintaining that investigations had linked the assets to alleged illicit financial activities.
The anti-graft agency argued that the forfeiture was in line with existing laws governing the recovery of assets suspected to have been acquired through unlawful means.
Following a review of the submissions before it, the court granted the EFCC’s request and directed that the assets be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
The assets covered by the order reportedly include luxury automobiles, expensive jewellery and other valuable items whose combined value is estimated at ₦8.9 billion.
The forfeiture represents one of the latest high-profile asset recovery cases pursued by the EFCC as part of its campaign against corruption, money laundering and illicit financial flows.
Under Nigerian law, assets may be forfeited to the government where a court is satisfied that they constitute proceeds of crime or have been acquired through unlawful activities, subject to the applicable legal process.
As of the time of filing this report, Achimugu had not publicly responded to the court’s decision. It was also unclear whether she would challenge the ruling through the appellate courts.
The EFCC has consistently maintained that asset recovery remains a key component of its anti-corruption strategy, aimed at depriving individuals involved in financial crimes of the proceeds of their alleged illegal activities.
The latest judgment underscores the continued use of civil asset forfeiture proceedings by Nigerian authorities in efforts to recover assets suspected to have been acquired through corruption and other financial offences.
