EFCC Suffers Setback as Appeal Court Blocks Move Against Aisha Achimugu

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt has rejected an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeking permission to challenge a ruling on the freezing of bank accounts linked to businesswoman Aisha Achimugu at the Supreme Court.

The decision marks another legal setback for the anti-graft agency in its attempt to overturn the earlier ruling that vacated an interim order freezing the affected accounts.

The Court of Appeal had, on July 22, 2026, set aside the interim freezing order obtained by the EFCC on April 10, 2025, after considering the circumstances surrounding the application and the duration of the restriction.

In its earlier decision, the court held that maintaining the interim order for more than 15 months amounted to an abuse of court process.

The dispute reportedly involves a transfer of N1.8 billion, which forms part of the issues surrounding the EFCC’s investigation and the legal proceedings involving Achimugu.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, the EFCC approached the appellate court to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the application, dealing another blow to the commission’s effort to challenge the decision.

The latest ruling does not automatically resolve other legal proceedings involving Achimugu. Separate cases, including a final forfeiture proceeding involving N8.9 billion and a fundamental rights suit seeking N10 billion in damages, remain distinct from the bank-account freezing dispute.

The decision concerns the EFCC’s application to pursue a further appeal and should not be interpreted as a determination of the underlying allegations or as a finding on Achimugu’s guilt or innocence.

The development adds another chapter to the ongoing legal dispute between the businesswoman and the anti-graft agency over the investigation, the restrictions placed on the accounts and the subsequent court proceedings.