Alleged money laundering: Aisha Achimugu arrested, declares hunger strike in EFCC custody

...

Legal team slams anti-graft agency over ‘unlawful arrest’ despite court-supervised returnBusiness magnate and socialite, Aisha Achimugu, on Tuesday declared a hunger strike in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after her dramatic arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in what her legal team has described as a direct affront to the rule of law.Achimugu’s legal counsel, Mr. Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, confirmed that the Group Managing Director of Felak Concept Group was picked up by EFCC operatives around 5:00 a.



m. shortly after arriving voluntarily from London to honour an invitation by the Commission.“In light of what transpired in court on Monday, our client returned based on the undertaking before the court to honour the EFCC’s invitation but was arrested at the airport.

“She has immediately gone on a hunger strike. She is a prisoner of conscience, and our stand on the arrest is that it has run contrary to the rule of law,” Ojukwu said in a statement made available to journalists.The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice I.

E. Ekwo, had on Monday ordered Achimugu to appear before the EFCC on Tuesday and to also attend court proceedings on Wednesday, in an ongoing investigation involving alleged criminal conspiracy and money laundering.Ojukwu, defending the integrity of his client’s actions, explained that she had given due notice of her intention to honour the EFCC’s invitation.

“Our client is a well-known business magnate and law-abiding citizen. She did not abscond. She came home to comply with a lawful order.

Her detention under such circumstances is unacceptable.”The senior advocate further reiterated the constitutional breach posed by her arrest: “The EFCC acted against both the letter and the spirit of Monday’s court proceedings. She returned of her own volition and should not have been treated as a flight risk.

”Achimugu’s arrest comes weeks after the EFCC declared her wanted in March for alleged financial crimes. She is the CEO of Felak Concept Group, a consortium with interests in engineering, maritime, oil and gas, and information technology.All attempts to reach the Commission’s spokesman, Mr.

Dele Oyewale, for clarification were unsuccessful, as calls to his mobile phone rang out repeatedly without a response.Meanwhile, her legal team has vowed to challenge the arrest and consider further legal action should the Commission fail to justify its conduct.The post Alleged money laundering: Aisha Achimugu arrested, declares hunger strike in EFCC custody appeared first on Nigerian NewsDirect.

.