Traveler Pleads Guilty To Non-Declaration Of £8,020 And $704 At Lagos Airport, Blames Brother’s Death

Agudosi Okechukwu was found with £8,020 and $704, which he did not declare. He admitted guilt when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned him before trial judge Yellim Bogoro on Tuesday, a statement from the anti-graft agency said.

One of the offences was said to be contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 states that any individual who falsely declares or fails to declare funds or negotiable instruments to the Nigerian Customs Service, as required under the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, commits an offence.

The law requires individuals arriving in Nigeria to declare any foreign currency or negotiable instruments exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

Upon conviction, such an individual is liable to forfeit the undeclared funds or instruments and may face imprisonment for a minimum of two years, or both penalties.

The defendant was arrested in December 2024 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, by operatives of the NCS for failing to declare £8,020 and $704. He was subsequently handed over to the EFCC for further investigation.

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

Mr. Magaji told the court that the NCS handed over the defendant to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, located at Okotie Eboh, Ikoyi, Lagos, for further investigation.

He further told the court that the defendant’s statement was recorded under caution.

He said the defendant failed to make the declaration because he claimed to have suffered a loss and was returning with the corpse of his brother.

He submitted the death certificate of his brother, his brother’s pictures, and other documents.

Thereafter, Magaji identified the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note from the NCS, the arresting officer’s statement, as well as the sums of £8,020 and $704 handed over to the EFCC.

The prosecution lawyer then tendered the items in evidence.

The judge, Mr. Bogoro, admitted and marked them as Exhibits P1–P11.

The judge adjourned the case till 2 May for judgment and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional centre.

The currency declaration mechanism was put in place to ensure transparency and compliance with foreign exchange regulations.

Despite the law and the penalties it prescribes, many travellers still fail to make the required declaration.

In March, a woman was convicted for failing to declare over $1.15 million and 135,900 Saudi Riyals (SAR) upon her arrival in Nigeria from Saudi Arabia.

The woman, Hauwa Ibrahim, said she was deceived into bringing the box containing the undeclared funds into Nigeria, trusting the owners.