EFCC arraigns man for non-declaration of £8,020, $704 at Lagos airport

Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Tuesday, arraigned Agudosi Christopher Okechukwu for alleged non-declaration of £8,020 and $704 before Justice Yelim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos. 

The accused was apprehended in December 2024 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for non-declaration of some money in Pounds and Dollars, and was handed over to the EFCC for further investigations. 

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The EFCC took its official X account with a statement to confirm that the defendant was also arraigned on Tuesday on a two-count charge surrounding money laundering, for which he pleaded guilty. 

The statement reads, “That you , Agudosi Christopher Okechukwu, on the 10th day of December, 2024 in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court , failed to make a declaration of the sum of £8,020  (Eight Thousand and Twenty Pounds Sterling) to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

Following the guilty plea of the defendant, Abubakar Magaji, an operative of the EFCC told the court that the NCS handed over Okechukwu to the EFCC operatives when he was called on by the prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie, to review the facts of the case. 

According to Magaji, the defendant had reasons backing the alleged non-declaration of foreign funds in his possession. 

“His statement was recorded under caution. He stated that he was arrested at the MMIA Airport with a total sum of £15,020 , and $704. He also stated that he declared £7000 and forgot to declare the sums of  £8020 and $704  on him

“He said he did not  make the declaration because he claimed to have suffered a loss and was going to bring back the corpse of his brother. He submitted the death certificate of his brother, his brother’s pictures and other documents,” he said.

Subsequently, Magaji identified the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note from the NCS, the arresting officer’s statement, as well as the non-declared funds, which were all marked as exhibits P1-P11 by Justice Bogoro. 

The statement further reviewed that the Judge adjourned the case till May 2, 2025, while the accused is remanded in a Correctional Centre.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE