Court Orders Final Forfeiture Of $13m Linked To Aisha Achimugu

A Federal High Court has ordered the final forfeiture of $13 million claimed by Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas Ltd, a firm associated with Nigerian businesswoman Aisha Achimugu.

Justice Emeka Nwite, in a ruling on Wednesday, granted a motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the final forfeiture of the money to the Federal Government.

Justice Nwite held that neither the Oceangate Engineering nor Aisha Achimugu was able to prove to the court that the money was legitimately earned.

The judge further held that the contention by Oceangate Engineering’s lawyer, Darlington Ozurumba, that the money was derived from gifts to Achimugu and earnings from gas and oil-related contracts could not be substantiated by credible evidence.

Justice Nwite rejected Ozurumba’s argument that the court lacked jurisdiction to have granted the Aug. 22, 2025, interim forfeiture while the court sat as a vacation court.

He upheld the submission by EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), that relevant laws, including Order 46(5) of the Federal High Court’s Rules, Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud Act, 2006, and others, were complied with in granting the order.

Justice Nwite described as baseless the argument by the lawyer to Oceangate Engineering that the EFCC was a meddlesome interloper since no person or corporate body complained to it that their money was missing.