Court refuses to free UK businesswoman detained by EFCC over ‘N500m fraud’

The federal high court in Lagos has rejected an applicationby Aminah Momoh-Orimoloye, a businesswoman, seeking release from the custodyEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Musa Kakaki, the presiding judge, on Monday, ruled on theapplication filed by Momoh-Orimoloye. According to the EFCC, Momoh-Orimoloye is a citizen of theUnited Kingdom (UK) and coordinator of the Economic Empowerment of Women andYouth in Livestock Agriculture (EEWYLA). She was arrested on August 5 following a petition borderingon alleged conspiracy and diversion of funds. THE SUIT AGAINST EFCCThe businesswoman, through her lawyer, Abimbola Akeredolu, fileda suit against the EFCC and asked the court to order her release from custody. “An order compelling the respondent (EFCC) to produce theapplicant in court to enable this honourable court to inquire into thecircumstances constituting the grounds of her detention since August 5, 2025,by officers of the respondent and, where it deems fit, admit the applicant tobail,” the suit reads. “An order admitting her to bail pending the conclusion ofinvestigation (if any) or pending when the EFCC will prefer a criminal charge(if any) against her. “An order of the honourable court directing and mandatingthe respondent (EFCC) to immediately release her within 24 hours from custodyin line with the terms of bail granted to her by this honourable court. Andsuch further order or orders as the honourable court may deem fit to make inthe circumstances.” EFCC’S COUNTER-APPLICATIONHowever, in a 29-paragraph counter-affidavit, which wasdeposed by John Justice, an investigator with the EFCC, the anti-graft agencyasked the court to dismiss the applicant’s motion for lacking in merit. The EFCC said it received a petition from one SalihuMohammed alleging conspiracy and misappropriation of funds by Momoh-Orimoloyeand others at large. According to the EFCC, the petitioner claimed that he wasengaged by one of his customers on July 31, 2025, for a foreign exchangetransaction worth N1.663 billion, but he had already reached his daily transferlimit. He asked his friend, Abdullahi Bala Muhammad, to allow thepayment to be made into his account. The petitioner said the entire amount was credited toMohammed, who later remitted only N1.163 billion and has since been givingexcuses for failing to release the remaining N500 million. ADMINISTRATIVE BAIL GRANTED The anti-graft agency told the court that Momoh-Orimoloyewas granted administrative bail with a condition of a two sureties.The sureties are expected to be directors in either thefederal or state civil service and also holders of certificates of occupancy inrespect of properties situated in Lagos. “But that the applicant presented unreliable sureties, whowere discovered to have deliberately given false information to the respondent,all in a desperate bid to secure the release of the applicant without fullyfulfilling conditions of the administrative bail,” the agency told the court. “That the applicant presented one Aliu Adekunle John, who,upon interview, confirmed that he was approached to make a false representationto officers of the respondent that he is a family member of the applicant.” The anti-graft agency said Momoh-Orimoloye is a flight risksince she resides outside the shores of Nigeria.The presiding judge ruled that since the EFCC granted herbail and she could not meet the bail conditions, it is not right to say herrights were breached.

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