A Federal High Court in Lagos has rejected the bail application of Aminah Momoh-Orimoloye, a UK-Nigerian businesswoman, currently detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of N500 million fraud.
Justice Musa Kakakis, who presided over the case, recalled that Momoh-Orimoloye, founder of Oriyon International Limited and coordinator of the Economic Empowerment of Women and Youth in Livestock Agriculture (EEWYLA), was arrested on August 5, 2025.
Her legal team, led by Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu (SAN), had argued that her extended detention without formal charges violated her fundamental human rights. The defence submitted a 13-paragraph affidavit, highlighting that the EFCC had held Momoh-Orimoloye beyond the legally permissible 48-hour limit.
The affidavit also described the bail conditions set by the EFCC as onerous and unreasonable, requiring two sureties who were directors in the federal or state civil service and held Certificates of Occupancy in Lagos. The defence argued that deputy registrars from higher institutions, who were initially proposed as sureties, should have been accepted. Concerns were also raised about her health and the allegedly harsh conditions of her detention, including limited access to food, medical care, and essential amenities.
The EFCC, represented by Suleiman I. Suleiman, refuted these claims in a 29-paragraph counter-affidavit. The commission stated that Momoh-Orimoloye, along with two others, allegedly conspired to misappropriate N500 million belonging to a petitioner. The EFCC also claimed that the sureties presented by her provided false information and that she is a significant flight risk as a UK citizen.
The commission further defended the conditions of her detention, noting that she had access to visitors, could exchange foreign currency, and was examined by the EFCC medical department, which found no evidence of deteriorating health.
In his ruling, Justice Kakakis held that Momoh-Orimoloye’s failure to present reliable sureties was not the EFCC’s responsibility and emphasised that she should have complied with the administrative bail conditions.
“The present application as constituted is hereby refused,” the judge declared, denying her immediate release and cementing her continued detention.
