…Rejects criminal label, restates her innocence
From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Investor and Entrepreneur, Aisha Achimugu, has stated that she has attracted over $100 million into Nigeria and committed funds to oil and gas.
Achimugu also rejected criminal label against her, while restating her innocence.
In a statement, Achimugu presented a detailed defence of her conduct and record, maintaining that she has cooperated with lawful processes and should not be publicly condemned through allegation and repeated hostile publicity.
Achimugu who identified herself as an accountant, widow, mother, daughter, philanthropist, entrepreneur and employer, said she has spent decades building indigenous businesses.
She said these dimensions of her life have been displaced by a narrow public narrative that has caused deep personal and commercial damage.
Achimugu disclosed that she has attracted more than $100 million into the Nigerian economy and invested heavily in oil and gas. She presented those commitments as evidence of trust in Nigeria and argued that their protection is connected to national investment confidence.
Achimugu also used the statement to defend her level of cooperation, adding that she has honoured more than 20 invitations and remains willing to face the law where due process is observed. Her position is that public communication should not portray her as unwilling to engage when, according to her account, lawyers and representatives maintained documented contact.
Her philanthropic record also forms part of the defence. She said the Sam Empowerment Foundation has supported health programmes, scholarships, schools, water projects, food assistance, places of worship and thousands of community interventions.
The statement presented these activities as evidence of a life connected to service and national development.
Achimugu revealed that she remains grateful for the opportunities Nigeria provided during decades of enterprise and insists that her criticism is motivated by a desire to protect citizens, legitimate businesses and the confidence required for private-sector growth.
She called on the National Assembly, judiciary, security services, local and international human rights advocates, media organisations and business partners to review her situation with an open mind. She also urges the public to distinguish her own account from the labels and imagery that have dominated previous coverage.
The same advertorial has been carried by several Nigerian media platforms, giving the businesswoman a broad channel to present her narrative directly. The republications retain her emphasis on safety, family, dignity, investment and fair process.
Achimugu’s statement says the reputational effects have crossed borders and now influence financial and commercial relationships. She argues that such consequences make accurate reporting and the preservation of her right to answer especially important.
The publication is framed entirely as Achimugu’s account and defence. It asks readers to evaluate the personal, family and business consequences she describes, rather than to rely on summaries that exclude her voice.
The same advertorial has been carried by several Nigerian media platforms, giving the businesswoman a broad channel to present her narrative directly. The republications retain her emphasis on safety, family, dignity, investment and fair process.
Her final appeal linked personal protection with national economic interest, arguing that Nigeria should safeguard citizens who create jobs and attract investment. She said the country can pursue accountability without destroying the people and businesses that contribute to its growth.
