Abuja,— The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday arrested Nigerian businesswoman Aisha Achimugu at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly after her arrival from London.

Sources confirmed that Achimugu, who had been declared wanted by the EFCC in March on allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering, was detained around 5 a.m. Her arrest comes a day after Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered her to appear before the anti-graft agency on Tuesday and before the court on Wednesday, April 30.

Her legal counsel, Chief Chikaosolu Ojukwu, confirmed the arrest in a message to journalists, stating, “Aisha Achimugu, who arrived voluntarily into the country from London, was arrested by the EFCC around 5 a.m. on Tuesday.” He described the EFCC’s action as a violation of the court’s directive.

“In light of what transpired in court on Monday, my client returned based on the undertaking before the court to honour the EFCC’s invitation, but was arrested at the airport,” Ojukwu said, adding that Achimugu had since embarked on a hunger strike in protest of what he described as a breach of her fundamental rights. “She is a prisoner of conscience,” he added.

An EFCC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the arrest and defended the commission’s actions. “We had earlier declared her wanted and we can’t allow her to continue to walk freely. Secondly, the court said she must appear before us today. We were not restricted from arresting her; what the court said was if she comes, she should not be detained,” the source said.

“As of now, how are you sure she would appear before us today? Now that we have seen her, we have a course to ensure she appears,” the official added.

As of press time, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale had not responded to requests for comment.