Nigerian businesswoman and philanthropist, Aisha Achimugu, has filed formal complaints with the United Nations and international human rights organisations, alleging procedural obstruction, intimidation, and human rights violations by Nigerian authorities, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In her complaint, Achimugu requests the UN to open an official investigation into procedural obstruction and abuse, issue urgent communications to Nigerian authorities regarding the violations, implement protective measures for whistle-blowers and legal representatives, recommend sanctions against DHL and the Nigerian Immigration Service for their alleged roles in rights violations.
The complaint detailed a series of alleged abuses spanning October 2023 to March 2025, including travel restrictions, document tampering, and threats to her safety.
According to copies of the letter exclusively obtained by The Verge, Achimugu claimed to have faced systematic interference from the EFCC, Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and DHL-Nigeria. The letter argued that these actions constitute violations of both her Nigerian constitutional rights and international legal protections under the Rome Statute and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
On 28 March 2025, the EFCC declared Achimugu wanted for failing to honour its invitation for questioning. The summons, conveyed in a letter dated 4 March 2025 and signed by Acting Zonal Director, Port Harcourt, Adebayo Adeniyi, directed Achimugu to appear for questioning the following day, 5 March 2025.
However, documents reviewed by The Verge indicate that Achimugu’s lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba of Vibrant Chambers, had submitted two separate letters to the EFCC requesting a rescheduling.
The first letter, dated 5th March, 2025, stated that Achimugu was abroad for medical reasons at the time of the invitation. The second letter, dated 12th March, 2025, explicitly proposed 28th and 29th April 2025 as alternative dates for her to appear before the commission.
The letter dated 5th March reads, “We are Solicitors to Dr. Aisha Achimugu whom we shall hereinafter refer to as “Our Client” and on whose behalf and instructions we write to you. “We are in receipt of your letter dated 4th March 2025 on the above subject matter with Reference No. CR: 3000/EFCC/ PHC/ EIFS/ 18/404 – 2022/Vol. 1/031 inviting our client to appear in your Port- Harcourt office on the 5th of March 2025. We wish to restate that our client is a law-abiding citizen who has nothing to hide and has previously honored all the invitations issued to her by your office wherein she was equally cleared by your office on those invitations.
“However, with regards to this particular invitation having a short period of one day, we wish to plead that your office should reconsider and grant us another convenient date owing to the fact that our client is currently out of the country and may not be back till the second week of April 2025.”
In another letter dated 12th March, Ozurumba said, “We are Solicitors to Dr. Aisha Achimugu whom we shall hereinafter refer to as “Our Client” and on whose behalf and instructions we write to you. We are in receipt of your letter dated 4th March 2025 on the above subject matter with Reference No. CR: 3000/EFCC/ PHC/ EIFS/ 18/404 – 2022/Vol. 1/031 inviting our client to appear in your Port- Harcourt office on the 5th of March 2025 which we responded to through the Headquarters of the commission and copy of the acknowledgment of our earlier response is herein attached.
“In view of the earlier reason communicated to you in our previous letter that our client is out of the country for medical reasons, we hereby respectfully request for another date to enable us to come with our client for the invitation. In view of the fact that the earlier date given to our client is not convenient, we hereby suggest the 28th and 29th of April 2025 for the visit subject to the convenience of the commission.”
Despite these communications, the EFCC proceeded to declare Achimugu wanted, raising concerns about due process and fair treatment by the commission.
According to Achimugu’s complaint to the UN, her troubles began in October 2023, when she received legal queries from the EFCC, to which her lawyers responded. In December 2023, she reported tampering with confidential legal documents sent through DHL.
By January 2024, she was allegedly prevented from travelling to a United Nations event, further restricting her international engagements. The situation escalated between February and March 2024, with continued document interference and harassment. Between April and August 2024, Achimugu reported increased surveillance and direct threats.
In September 2024, she formally lodged additional complaints, but the harassment reportedly persisted into early 2025, including alleged media pressure and intensified scrutiny by the EFCC.
Meanwhile, a source familiar with Achimugu’s travel details dismissed fears of serious health concerns, noting that the businesswoman was in good health before her trip. The source who spoke to The Verge via the telephone said Achimugu had travelled for business engagements, but might also be booked in for some scheduled medical appointments.
