The Lagos State government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over illicit $13 million traced to socialite and businesswoman Aisha Achimugu, PREMIUM TIMES confirmed on Wednesday from officials familiar with the case.

It was gathered that the EFCC began scrutinising Mr Sanwo-Olu’s government’s connection to the funds after investigators discovered that part of the funds was sourced from contractors working for or providing services to the Lagos State Government.

“The facts about the origin of the funds are already public in court documents, but the full details of how a large chunk of the money was sourced from some contractors offering services to Lagos State Government’, the identities of the contractors and the possible involvement of the governor and other government officials have not been disclosed in order not to jeopardise ongoing investigations,” a source told PREMIUM TIMES on the condition of anonymity due to lack of authorisation to speak publicly on the case.

On Wednesday, the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered a permanent forfeiture of the $13 million to the Nigerian government, citing its fraudulent origin.

Later on Wednesday, PREMIUM TIMES made unsuccessful attempts to get the comment of the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro, and the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, on the disclosure in the suit tracing part of the suspicious funds to the state’s contractors and EFCC’s investigations into the governor regarding the finances.

Neither of the two officials returned our reporter’s phone calls or responded to text or WhatsApp messages.

It remained unclear how the alleged scheme was executed. However, investigators say it remains curious that the contractors paid large sums to Ms Achimugu’s company without any valid business relationship with the firm or its owner.

It is also unclear whether Mr Sanwo-Olu is aware of or participated in the alleged scheme, or whether he is merely being investigated because he leads the administration under which the payments occurred.

Judge Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja ruled on Wednesday that the explanations made by Ms Achimugu’s company for the suspicious payments were not convincing. He said he was not persuaded that the company had legitimately earned the money.

Governor Sanwo-Olu and Achimugu’s relationship
PREMIUM TIMES had reported the close relationship between Governor Sanwo-Olu and Ms Achimugu more than a year before EFCC’s probe into the oil block transactions became public.

The newspaper exclusively reported how Mr Sanwo-Olu abandoned work for days in January 2024 to party in the Caribbean Island of Grenada in commemoration of Ms Achimugu’s 50th birthday. Ms Achimugu turned 50 on 22 January 2024. She is now 52.

According to the PREMIUM TIMES report, Mr Sanwo-Olu flew in a private aircraft to the Caribbean Island and took residency in one of the most expensive resorts in the world to be part of the party.

He left many officials back home scrambling to figure out his whereabouts.

A website dedicated to the seven-day birthday party included information regarding visa arrangements, available chauffeurs, travel schedules, and the nearest airport to the event venue, among other details for the guests. The festivities commenced on 16 January with the arrival of guests.

But the governor, in his reaction to this newspaper’s report via his official X account @jidesanwoolu at the time, said he travelled on purpose to Grenada to advance his state’s economic interests. He neither denied nor confirmed attending the birthday party.

Early sign of Governor Sanwo-Olu probe
The first sign that Mr Sanwo-Olu was possibly under EFCC investigation surfaced in October 2024, when a report circulated that the Lagos State governor had filed a suit to ward off EFCC investigations.

In the suit, the governor reportedly sought a declaration that the threat of his arrest and detention was illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of his fundamental rights.

It added that the governor sought an order restraining the EFCC from harassing, arresting and detaining him over his governance.

The report also stated that one Martha Kanu, claimed in an affidavit filed in support of the suit, that she was briefed on the suit’s details by the governor via teleconference.

She said she believed the governor’s briefing to be true. She reportedly said the governor told her that EFCC officials planned to arrest his aides and family members over allegations of fund diversion.

In what also appeared to shed further light on the scope of the relationship between Mr Sanwo-Olu and Ms Achimugu, the controversial suit was filed by Darlington Ozurumba, the lawyer who also defended Ms Achimugu’s Oceangate Engineering in the $13 million forfeiture proceedings.

In the wake of the wide publicity the suit received, the Lagos State Government denied that the governor had authorised the filing of the suit, while also expressing doubts about the existence of any legal action.

“We need to clarify that Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at no time, sued or briefed any legal practitioner to file a suit on his behalf concerning the above subject matter,” the Lagos State Government said in a statement issued on 30 October 2024 by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro.

“It is disingenuous for the Governor, who enjoys immunity as conferred on him by the Constitution and has almost three years ahead of him, to brief any lawyer on this kind of matter.”

Mr Pedro also denied the claim that the EFCC was investigating the Lagos State governor. He insisted that the EFCC had never invited or threatened to arrest the governor or any member of his staff.

Mr Pedro also vouched for Mr Sanwo-Olu’s judicious use of the state’s resources

Although Mr Ozurumba appeared in court as the plaintiff’s lawyer to prosecute the case, the statement said that the origin of the reports about the purported suit was under investigation. It also cautioned media organisations to desist from circulating such misleading reports without proper investigation.

On 31 October 2024, a day after the Lagos State Government disowned the suit on behalf of the governor, EFCC filed its response to the suit categorically denying investigating or harassing the governor or any member of his family and staff.

But this was months before the oil block transactions took place.

Controversies
Ms Achimugu’s lifestyle has drawn public attention and controversy in the last two years.

Her January 2024 birthday extravaganza in Grenada and the $13 million forfeiture case are examples.

In 2025, EFCC declared her wanted in a 28 March 2025 public notice over her alleged involvement in money laundering and a Ponzi scheme. EFCC linked her to the controversial MBA Trading and Capital Limited.

The declaration prompted Ms Achimugu to file a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/626/2025 seeking to restrain the EFCC and other agencies from arresting or detaining her.

She argued that her rights to freedom of movement, dignity, and privacy were under threat.

On 28 April 2025, the judge, Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ordered her to submit herself to the EFCC for questioning.

The following day, EFCC arrested her at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja upon her arrival from London at about 5 a.m. She has since been released from custody but continues facing investigations.

Although she has not been charged with any offence, her name has been linked to suspicious funds in an ongoing criminal trial, while investigations into her continue

Timi Frank, former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has alleged that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wants to relocate Nigeria’s capital from Abuja to Lagos upon his re-election in 2027.

Frank made this allegation known in a statement on Monday.

The former APC chieftain slammed Tinubu’s government for what he described as a ‘Lagos-centric agenda.’

He said that it has become clear to him that the President is pursuing an agenda of sidelining other regions.

According to Frank, major decisions of Tinubu’s administration are targeted to benefit Lagos State.

“It is now clear that the President’s long-term plan is to concentrate political and economic power in Lagos if given another term in office,” Frank said.

Frank also claimed that federal appointments and development initiatives under Tinubu have been largely one-sided, warning that such a trend undermines national unity.

“We do not want a president who is one-sided,” he said.

“Where are Tinubu’s MOUs tied to agricultural and livestock production in the North, industrial development in the Southeast, and oil and gas development in the South-South? None!

“Secondly, no president in Nigeria’s history has divided the country and its people along regional and ethnic lines the way this administration has done.

“There is a growing sense of alienation and division among Nigerians that is deeply troubling.

“It appears to be a deliberate strategy to impoverish certain regions, especially the North, South, and Southeast, so that citizens are economically weakened ahead of the 2027 election cycle,” Frank stated.

His Eminence the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar II, has announced the date for Eid al-Fitr in Nigeria.

The Emir, who is the Chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria, has not reported the sighting of the crescent moon of Shawwal, 1447AH, today, Wednesday, the 29th of Ramadan .

This was contained in a statement posted on the Facebook page of the Daular Usmaniyya , signed by the Wazir of Sokoto and Chairman of the Religious Affairs Committee of the Sultan’s Palace, Professor Sambo Wali Junaidu.

The statement stated that the Sultan’s Palace Moon Sighting Committee had not received any reliable reports of moon sightings from anywhere in Nigeria. According to this information, Thursday, March 19, will be the day to complete the 30th day of Ramadan.

The Sultan of Sokoto has declared Friday, March 20, 2026, as the day of the lesser Sallah, i.e. the 1st of Shawwal 1447AH.

He urged Muslims to use this time of Eid al-Fitr to pray for peace, unity, and sustainable development in Nigeria.

The statement said: “His Eminence, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar CFR, mni, and Chairman, Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), has received the moon sighting report, which showed that the crescent moon was not sighted today, Wednesday.

“Accordingly, he declared Friday, March 20, 2026, as 1 Shawwal 1447AH (the Day of the Small Prayer). He also congratulated the Nigerian Muslim community on the occasion, and wished them the guidance and blessings of God.”

“He also called for continued prayers for peace, progress, and development of the country . He also wished Muslims a peaceful and prosperous Eid. May Allah (SWT) accept our acts of worship, amen.”