Man sent to prison for 6 months for failing to declare total foreign currency on him while attempting to travel out of MMIA
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
One Agudosi Okechukwu has been jailed six months for failing to declare total foreign currencies in his possession to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos when he wanted to travel abroad.
Okechukwu was arrested by Immigration officials in December 2024 for failing to declare foreign currencies in the sum of £8,020 and $704.
He declared £7,000 but concealed the remaining amounts, and was handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
The EFCC arraigned him on 15 April 2025 on a two-count charge involving money laundering.
EFCC officer Abubakar Magaji told the court during trial that the total amount Okechukwu carried on him was £15,020 and $704 but claimed he withheld part of the money to fund the repatriation of his deceased brother’s body.
The sleaze burster reiterated that the offence is punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Okechukwu pleaded guilty to the charges before Judge Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court in Lagos and was on Friday sentenced to six months in prison on each count, with an option of N200,000 fine per count.
The court ordered the undeclared £8,020 and $704 forfeited to the federal government.
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