Suleiman Ciroma, a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, stunned the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, July 17, 2025,
Suleiman Ciroma, a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, stunned the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, July 17, 2025, with explosive revelations about how Aisha Achimugu allegedly funneled millions of dollars through SunTrust Bank to purchase an oil block.
The witness, a bureau de change operator, testified in the ongoing trial of Halima Buba and Innocent Mbagwu, Managing Director/Chief Executive and Chief Compliance Officer of SunTrust Bank Limited, respectively. The duo faces a six-count charge of money laundering amounting to $12 million.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), the witness detailed how multiple foreign exchange transactions were routed through him, allegedly at the behest of Achimugu and with the cooperation of the bank’s top executives.
“In March 2025, Aisha Achimugu contacted me about some forex transactions at SunTrust Bank branches in Abuja and Lagos. I called the first defendant, Halima Buba and she confirmed knowledge of the transaction,” the witness recounted.
On March 13, 2025, the witness claimed, a staff member of Achimugu named Iliya was sent to SunTrust Bank Abuja with $1 million to be swapped and deposited into Ocean Gate Energy Oil and Gas’s account at Zenith Bank. This was allegedly verified by Buba.
He further stated, “I contacted my associate Hassan of Ashrof Energy, who sent someone to collect the cash. Later that same day, I received a similar call regarding another $1 million, and again, arrangements were made for collection. I also sent Kabiru to receive $2 million for another swap.”
The transactions, according to the witness, were part of a larger scheme to fund Achimugu’s acquisition of an oil block. He explained that she had expressed the need for “dollar inflow” into the Ocean Gate Energy account.
On March 14 and 20, the pattern continued: $2 million was received each time from the second defendant, Mbagwu, under similar arrangements. On March 24, another $2 million in cash was collected and later swapped for a bank inflow.
Beyond the oil block deal, Achimugu allegedly engaged in several naira-to-dollar exchanges, with confirmations supposedly secured from Buba. The transactions were backed up by WhatsApp chats between the parties, screenshots of which were admitted as evidence in court.
Presiding Judge Justice Emeka Nwite adjourned the matter to Friday, July 18, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
