Felak Group has denied any link between its subsidiary Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas and group chief executive officer Aisha Achimugu to the $7 million forfeited to the federal government by order of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The company in a statement on Thursday said neither Mrs Achimugu nor Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas was involved in the transaction, insisting that reports linking them to the funds were unfounded.
“We categorically state that neither Dr. Achimugu nor Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas has any connection whatsoever to the alleged transaction. The claims are unfounded, contradictory, and misleading,” the statement read in part.
Felak Group said the publication contained inconsistencies, citing that while it claimed the funds were deposited in Lagos, the referenced legal proceedings stated otherwise in Abuja.
The group alleged the reports were an attempt to discredit its leadership and subsidiary.
The firm demanded an immediate retraction and apology from those who circulated the story, warning that failure to do so would result in legal action.
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday reportedly ordered the final forfeiture of $7 million (about ₦11.2 billion) following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Justice Emeka Nwite was said to have granted the order after no party came forward to lay claim to the funds, which were reportedly traced to the vault of Providus Bank, Ikoyi branch.
According to the EFCC, one of its investigators, Emmanuel Okeibunor, told the court that the commission received a report alleging the money was deposited under suspicious circumstances.
Bank officials reportedly claimed the cash was deposited on behalf of Aisha Achimugu, managing director of Oceangate Engineering Oil and Gas Limited.
Achimugu, however, allegedly denied ownership, saying it was a loan from the bank that she had yet to repay.
The funds were allegedly linked to her company, but the EFCC argued that its application for forfeiture was meritorious.
Justice Nwite reportedly ruled in favour of the commission, ordering that the money be permanently forfeited to the federal government.
Aisha Achimugu has in the past been invited by the EFCC over investigations relating to contract awards and payments.
In March 2020, she was named among individuals accused of receiving contracts without due process in cases linked to the office of the national security adviser under Sambo Dasuki.
Providus Bank is also reportedly under scrutiny for not filing a Suspicious Transaction Report with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit concerning the $7 million deposit.
Felak Group, however, maintained in a statement that Achimugu and Oceangate Engineering Oil & Gas were not connected to the matter and threatened legal action against those circulating the story.
