Aisha Achimugu, a prominent businesswoman recently detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has declared a hunger strike to protest her continued detention. Sources revealed that Achimugu made the decision shortly after her arrest and has refused meals since being taken into custody.
She is reportedly under investigation for alleged financial misconduct involving large sums of public funds. The EFCC has not released full details yet, but her detention is linked to ongoing probes into high-profile money laundering cases.
Flashback to similar incidents, in 2022, former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode staged a short-lived hunger protest after being detained by the EFCC over alleged fraud. Likewise, in 2020, ex-governor Orji Uzor Kalu also threatened to stop eating when he faced corruption charges, drawing public attention to detention conditions.
In Aisha Achimugu’s case, her legal team has raised concerns about her health, insisting that she should be granted bail while investigations continue. They argue that prolonged detention without formal charges violates her rights and could worsen her medical condition.
EFCC officials, however, maintain that due process is being followed and that no rights are being violated. They insist that Achimugu is being treated according to the law and that her case is being handled with fairness.
As public interest grows, human rights groups are calling for transparency in the handling of her case, warning against any form of injustice or abuse while she remains in custody.
