Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport

Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday,  convicted and sentenced Okunfulure Olusola Steve to three Months imprisonment for money laundering.

Head, Media and Publicity, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, said, the convict was arrested on March 28, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), for false currency declaration to the tune of $30,0000.

The NCS had, on Friday, March 28, 2025, handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC,Ikoyi, Lagos, for further investigations.

Consequently, he was arraigned yesterday on one-count charge bordering on money laundering.

The count reads: “That you, Okunfulure Olusola Steve, on the 28th day of March, 2025, in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $20,000 to the Nigerian 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.”

The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie called on Felicia Paul, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.

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Paul, while giving details of how she knew the defendant, told the court that the NCS handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC on Friday, March 28, 2025.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Paul also told the court that the defendant was arrested with the sum of $30,000, which he failed to declare. She further told the court that “ his statement was recorded under caution and was served with the bail conditions.”

Thereafter, she identified the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note from the NCS, the arresting officer’s statement as well as the sum of $30,000 to the EFCC.

Okozie ,then sought to tender, in evidence, the documents.

Justice Dipeolu admitted and marked them as exhibits 1,2,3 and 4 and held that: “ I have read the exhibits, the statement of the defendant, and I found him guilty. He is accordingly convicted as charged.”

Okezie thereafter, prayed that the undeclared sum of $20,000 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria and that the defendant be jailed.

Defence counsel, Joel Ogundere, while addressing the court, said that the defendant,“is a first-time offender and is not aware of the disclosure policy . He is a family man and has responsibilities. His bank account shows the legitimacy of the funds.”

He also prayed the court to, “ magnanimously waive any prison sentence”, adding that the convict would not mind forfeiting the sum of money or pay a fine.

Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced the defendant to three months imprisonment, with effect from the date of his arrest on March 28,2025. The Judge also ordered that the money be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Steve, a departing passenger on Delta Airline to Atlanta, United States, had declared that he was not in possession of any  money in foreign currency but in Naira, while being profiled at the Currency Declaration Desk. 

However, the sum of $30,000 undeclared was found on him during a search conducted by operatives of the NCS.

He was subsequently handed over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC for further investigations, a development that led to his arraignment and conviction.

Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport

After 7-hour gridlock, FG orders immediate reopening of Lagos Independence Bridge 

By Dada Jackson

Many motorists, workers, traders, children and other people were trapped in a gridlock on roads around the Independence Bridge in Lagos for about seven hours due to repair work going on the closed bridge.

A lot of appointments were cancelled, flight missed, productivity at work low due to lateness and sales dwindled as the traffic dragged to the early hours of this morning.

Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has directed the immediate reopening of the Independence Bridge in Lagos to vehicular traffic.

The minister issued the directive on Wednesday following the massive traffic gridlock that stretched from Lekki through Victoria Island to Falomo Bridge and beyond.

The directive followed the earlier closure of the bridge by the Federal Government for planned maintenance and rehabilitation works.

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However, the commencement of repairs on Wednesday caused major traffic with Lagos residents spending hours on the road.

The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, confirmed the latest development on Wednesday night.

She expressed the Ministry of Works’ regret for the inconvenience caused to the motoring public by the closure and appealed for their understanding and cooperation

She stated, “Efforts are currently ongoing to ensure palliative works are carried out on the already opened bridge to make it motorable .

“The Ministry hereby express regret for the inconvenience caused to the motoring public by the closure and appealed for their understanding and cooperation.”

The Federal Ministry of Works clarified that the necessary repair works on the bridge would be carried out at a later time

After 7-hour gridlock, FG orders immediate reopening of Lagos Independence Bridge

Protect vulnerable Nigerians, IMF tells Tinubu

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged the federal government to conduct its economic stabilisation policies with policies that would protect the welfare of most vulnerable Nigerians.

IMF’s Director of Communications, Julie Kozack, made this known during a routine press conference at the IMF headquarters in Washington, adding that it is important that the government engages in financial transfers that would enable vulnerable citizens to support themselves in the current economic reforms.

Newstrends reports that the removal of subsidy from premium motor spirit (PMS) which is one of the recommendations of the IMF has brought untold hardship to Nigerians with inflationary pressures never experienced in the recent past.