Negotiations Underway To End EFCC Probe Of Sanwo-Olu’s Wanted Ally, Aisha Achimugu, After Lagos Governor’s Meeting With Tinubu – Report

Negotiations are underway to stop the investigation involving Aisha Achimugu, a businesswoman, socialite, and close associate of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Achimugu was earlier declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of money laundering and investment fraud.

The development follows a meeting on Sunday between Governor Sanwo-Olu, President Bola Tinubu, and a delegation from the Lagos Governance Advisory Council (GAC) led by its chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Olusi, who reportedly pleaded on behalf of the governor.

“They are also negotiating to end the prosecution of the lady linked to Sanwo-Olu, Aisha Achimugu,” a source privy to discussions at the meeting said.

Achimugu was summoned for questioning by the EFCC on March 5, 2025, but instead of complying, she fled Nigeria between March 6 and 7. Subsequently, the EFCC obtained a court-issued arrest warrant and officially declared her wanted.

Her association with Governor Sanwo-Olu has sparked speculation, especially after reports that he attended her 50th birthday celebration in Grenada in January 2025, travelling on a private jet and staying at a luxury resort.

In January 2024, Governor Sanwo-Olu took several days away from his official duties to celebrate Achimugu’s birthday on the Caribbean island of Grenada. Reports indicate that he flew there on a private jet and stayed at one of the world’s most luxurious resorts.

PREMIUM TIMES revealed that while the Mandilas building was burning in Lagos on January 21, and many residents struggled with poverty and insecurity, Sanwo-Olu was enjoying himself at a party on Calivigny Island — an 80-acre private estate that costs about $132,000 per night.

The newspaper also noted that during the governor’s extended absence, many government officials were unaware of his exact location. Some believed he was attending official business in London, while others simply said he was travelling abroad.

According to the report, the organisers rented Calivigny Island for seven days at a total cost of approximately $924,000, not including additional expenses.

Mr. Sanwo-Olu and other attendees reportedly moved between Calivigny Island and Silversands Grenada, a five-year-old, seven-star luxury resort on Grand Anse beach where some of the celebration’s events took place.

Sources familiar with the governor’s schedule said he left Nigeria on Wednesday, January 17, to join Mrs. Achimugu’s birthday carnival, which kicked off with “a scrumptious welcome breakfast” followed by “a spectacular dinner with an explosive finish” that same day. Other guests had arrived in Grenada a day earlier, on January 16.

Governor Sanwo-Olu reportedly joined the festivities on January 18, the third day of the celebration, and remained until January 23, leaving his state without its leader for nearly a week.

This raised questions about the nature of their relationship and possible political implications.

Achimugu was also accused of funneling funds to opposition leaders Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 elections, a claim that reportedly angered President Tinubu. However, the EFCC later clarified that its investigation into Achimugu was solely about criminal conspiracy and money laundering and had no connection to Atiku or Sanwo-Olu.

Sanwo-Olu’s recent visit to meet President Tinubu came after interventions by several influential figures. This followed public tension, including a widely circulated video showing President Tinubu appearing to snub the governor, fueling rumors of a rift.

SaharaReporters had earlier revealed that President Tinubu expressed deep displeasure with Sanwo-Olu over the illegal allocation of 96 hectares of land at Banana Island to developers linked to them. The dispute has reportedly triggered political maneuvering and tense negotiations within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos.

According to insiders, Governor Sanwo-Olu allegedly sold land belonging to Tinubu at Banana Island, further aggravating the President’s anger.

“Tinubu got upset with Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over illegal land allocation at Banana Island, where they allocated 96 hectares to developers linked to them. Sanwo-Olu, they reported, also sold Tinubu’s land at Banana Island,” one source said. “It was the reason he reversed the removal of Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.”

Obasa was impeached as Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly on January 13, 2025, amid allegations of misconduct and financial impropriety, and was replaced by Mojisola Meranda, the first female Speaker of the Lagos Assembly. However, the impeachment sparked a political crisis as Obasa was considered a key ally of President Tinubu. The President intervened and directed lawmakers to reinstate Obasa, arguing that the political fallout from his removal outweighed the misconduct allegations. After 49 days, Obasa was reinstated as Speaker while Meranda returned to her previous role as Deputy Speaker.

After the recent meeting, Sanwo-Olu thanked the President for granting them an audience but denied reports of any feud between them, attributing the rumors to what he described as “people who are more Catholic than the Pope.”

When asked by an NTA reporter about the alleged rift, Sanwo-Olu said, “Did you see any discord? Can’t you see, even you are smiling and I am smiling? There is none.

“You know, there are people who believe they are more Catholic than the Pope. You know, there are things that, you see people, you know, they cry more than the bereaved.

“You know, father and son, are things that we’ll always ensure that, you know… there’s nothing at all. He’s my father, he’s my leader, and we are grateful that he’s given us the audience today to come in and say hello to him.” (SaharaReporters)