Halimat Tejuosho in the eyes of the storm
Once a dazzling fixture in Abuja’s social firmament, Halimat Adenike Tejuosho now finds herself running from pillar to post like a fugitive in the very circles where she once reigned.
Once a dazzling fixture in Abuja’s social firmament, Halimat Adenike Tejuosho now finds herself running from pillar to post like a fugitive in the very circles where she once reigned.
On Monday, April 27, 2026, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared the 41-year-old founder of Haleems Integrated Services Limited wanted. In a terse post on its verified social media pages, the anti-graft agency plastered her photograph and appealed to the public for information on her whereabouts. The charge leveled against her was obtaining money by false pretense; allegations that have piled up through several petitions over a long string of complaints.
For those who knew the former Abuja big girl, the fall has been as head-turning as the rise. Known for flaunting affluence in exotic cars and living large, Tejuosho is now accused of something far uglier; appointment racketeering running into billions of naira. According to sources, she allegedly collected huge sums from multiple victims with the promise of helping them secure federal appointments. When the appointments never came, the petitions began to flow.
But this isn’t her first dance with controversy. Years ago, she was charged in connection with a contract involving the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. A business partner, Emmanuel Suku, had petitioned that the Ministry awarded a contract for the reconstruction of 500 housing units to Haleems Nigeria Limited. Tejuosho reportedly partnered with Suku to finance the project, receiving a staggering N436,325,000 and an additional $21,500. That case left questions that were never fully answered.
Read Also: Akpabio urges South-East to sustain peace, reject armed struggle against Nigeria
Now, the storm has fully arrived, after the EFCC’s wanted declaration, Tejuosho released a statement acknowledging that she had taken money alongside an alleged accomplice, Gidado Ibrahim. However, she insisted she was working assiduously to ensure victims get their money back.
But apologies may no longer be enough. Sources reveal that her political affiliates have since disowned her. More strikingly, the renowned Tejuosho family, through a press release signed by Oba Adetokunbo Gbadegeshin Tejuosho, the Olu of Orile Kemta in Ogun State has declared that she is not a member of their family. According to the palace, she only adopted the name. Abandoned by her political network and publicly disowned by the royal house whose name she bore, Halimat Tejuosho now navigates a lonely, narrowing path.
According to a close source: “She is looking for a soft landing before she presents herself to the EFCC, hoping the issue can be resolved.” Whether the commission will grant her that grace or whether the full weight of the law will come crashing down remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the former queen of Abuja’s high life has fallen from her throne and the storm shows no signs of passing.
