The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has unanimously lifted the ex parte interim order that froze the bank accounts of businesswoman Aisha Achimugu and her associated corporate entities, which was initially granted by the Federal High Court on April 10, 2025. Delivered by a three-member panel comprising Justices Muhammad Ibrahim Sirajo, Ishaq Mohammed Sani, and Eleojo Enenche, the appellate ruling concluded that keeping an ex parte freezing order active for over 15 months constitutes an abuse of court process and violates the rule of law.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The legal battle stems from a dispute between Achimugu and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) concerning 124 bank accounts. While the freeze was active, the EFCC directed SunTrust Bank to transfer funds from a linked account, prompting a lower court ruling on August 27, 2025, that declared the movement of ₦1.8 billion unlawful and ordered its return.

The EFCC appealed the decision on three primary grounds, challenging the lower court’s jurisdiction to deliver judgments during annual vacation, claims of denied fair hearing, and the evaluation of evidence regarding account identities and balances.

The Court of Appeal ruled on these points as follows:

• Jurisdiction and Fair Hearing: The appellate court dismissed the EFCC’s arguments regarding vacation rulings and fair hearing, noting that delivering a reserved judgment does not constitute general legal business and that both parties had thoroughly engaged through detailed affidavits.

• Consequential Orders: The court affirmed that a judge issuing a freezing order maintains the inherent power to give consequential orders to preserve the subject matter.

• The ₦1.8 Billion Dispute: The appellate panel upheld the EFCC’s challenge regarding the evidence of the ₦1.8 billion transfer, finding that the trial court failed to properly evaluate how an account with a frozen balance of roughly ₦50 million could yield a ₦1.8 billion transfer. Consequently, the order mandating the return of the ₦1.8 billion was set aside, though the court clarified this did not amount to declaring the transfer lawful.

Ultimately, because the interim freezing order had stretched for more than 15 months beyond its intended temporary scope, the Court of Appeal allowed the appeal in part and discharged the freezing order on Achimugu’s accounts in its entirety.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, revealed in his July 2026 monthly newsletter that an APC chieftain cautioned him on June 1, 2025, against running in the 2027 presidential race against President Bola Tinubu following Tinubu’s endorsement as the party’s sole candidate. Makinde stated that just a day later, the EFCC demanded comprehensive records of all state contracts and payments dating back to 2021, though the request lacked any specific allegations, companies, or transactions.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

This disclosure followed a Federal High Court ruling in Ibadan regarding suit number FHC/IB/CS/61/2025, initiated by the Oyo State Government. According to a statement by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media, Sulaimon Olarenwaju, the court affirmed the EFCC’s legal mandate to probe financial crimes but ruled that the commission’s sweeping document request was a “fishing expedition” and “speculative,” noting that investigative powers must respect constitutional boundaries and fair hearing rights.

Makinde emphasized that his administration welcomes lawful oversight and accountability rather than trying to shield itself from scrutiny, noting that the state had simply asked the EFCC to specify the target transactions or allegations before receiving no response. Describing the court’s verdict as a victory for the rule of law rather than an attack on the anti-graft agency, the governor left the public to draw its own conclusions regarding the timing of the EFCC’s letter while stressing that investigations must rely on concrete facts rather than broad, speculative fishing expeditions.

• Defection Notification: Fadeyi confirmed on Thursday that he had formally notified the Senate of his return to the PDP, specifically aligning with the faction led by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• • 2027 Ticket Grievances: Having originally joined the APC in July 2025 to support President Bola Tinubu, Fadeyi stated that an anticipated consensus arrangement for his 2027 senatorial ticket failed [cite: Fadeyi had defected from the PDP to the APC in July 2025 alongside four other members of the National Assembly., “I joined the APC as a progressive party in good faith to support Mr President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his ancestral home, which falls within my senatorial district,” he stated.]. Instead, the party chose Senior Advocate of Nigeria Adekunle Adegoke, creating trust issues due to a lack of transparency and internal democracy [cite: He said the APC picked Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adekunle Adegoke, instead of him, and insisted his defection is not opposition to President Bola Tinubu., “Recent developments from the leadership of the APC in Osun State have created serious trust issues within the party and made my continued membership of the party untenable,” he said.].

  • Stance on President Tinubu: Fadeyi clarified that his exit from the APC does not signify opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but rather stems from a demand for fairness, mutual trust, and adherence to agreements within political parties [cite: He said the APC picked Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adekunle Adegoke, instead of him, and insisted his defection is not opposition to President Bola Tinubu., According to him, the decision was based on his conviction that political parties must respect agreements and uphold fairness, transparency and mutual trust in their internal affairs.].