The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday convicted one Igboezue Emeka for money laundering.
Justice Alexander Owoeye sentenced Igboezue to One month imprisonment and ordered the forfeiture of the sum of $40,000 USD to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The convict was arrested on February 12, 2025 at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport by officers of the Nigeria Customs Services, NCS, for failing to declare the sum of $40,000 found on him.
The NCS on the same day, handed him over to the EFCC, for further investigation and prosecution.
The charge reads: “That you Igboeze Emeka on or about the 12th day of February, 2025 at Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos within the Lagos Judicial Division of the Federal High Court of Nigeria failed to make a declaration of the sum of $40,000.00 USD (Forty Thousand United States Dollars) to the Nigerian Customs Service and thereby committed an offence contrary to the provisions of Section 3(3) of the Money Laundering Act, No. 14 of 2022 and punishable under Section 3 (5) of the same Act.”
He however pleaded guilty to the charge.
Consequent upon his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa sought the leave of the court to call the investigating officer for the review of the facts of the case.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Michael Olaremi, an operative with the EFCC, narrated to the court the events that led to the investigation of the defendant.
“At about 1.20pm on February 12, 2025, we got an intelligence report from the Nigerian Customs that they intercepted the defendant with the monetary exhibit of the sum of $40,000.
Upon this report, I detailed one of my team leads who I supervise, Lanre Michael, to go and pick the individual and the exhibit from the Nigeria Customs at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport”, he said.
“At about 4 pm, he reported with the defendant, the monetary exhibit and the defendant’s international passport. The defendant was in possession of 2 phones with which he called his lawyer and relatives.
In the presence of his relatives, he volunteered his statement under words of caution, where he admitted that he was travelling via Qatar Air to Seoul, capital of South Korea. He also stated that he was accosted by Customs Officers where he was asked if he had any currency on him to declare, to which he said No”.
Olaremi in his evidence further said, “The statement warranted me to invite the personnel of the Customs services, Ogar Sadin John. John in his statement, said that when he accosted Igboezue, he claimed that he had no money but he was skeptical, and upon searching him, he found the monies hidden in one of his shoes in his hand luggage.”
He added that the monetary exhibit was registered with the exhibit keeper while the suspect was released on administrative bail.
Omewa then sought to tender the defendant’s statement and the monetary exhibit recovered from him. The Judge admitted the documents and marked them as exhibits.
Justice Owoeye consequently found Igboezue guilty and sentenced him accordingly. The prison sentence is to commence from date of arrest, 12th February, 2025
