The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced one Igboezue Emeka to one month in prison for failing to declare $40,000 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Justice A.O. Owoeye handed down the sentence on Friday, April 4, after Emeka pleaded guilty to the one-count charge of money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to a statement by the EFCC, Emeka was apprehended on February 12, 2025, by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service for false declaration of currency.
He was later handed over to the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate for further investigation and prosecution.
The offense the anti-corruption agency said contravenes Section 3 (3) of the Money Laundering Act, No. 14 of 2022, and punishable under Section 3 (5) of the same Act.
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Upon his guilty plea, EFCC counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa presented evidence through EFCC operative Michael Olayemi, who reviewed the circumstances of the arrest.
Olayemi testified that the defendant was intercepted with the undeclared cash hidden in one of his shoes inside his hand luggage.
Olayemi also said the suspect admitted in a cautionary statement that he was en route to Seoul, South Korea, via Qatar Airways, and initially denied carrying any currency when questioned by Customs officers.
Following the review of the evidence, the court admitted the defendant’s statement and the recovered cash as exhibits.
Justice Owoeye then convicted and sentenced Emeka to one month imprisonment, backdated to his arrest on February 12.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the development in the statement issued on Friday.
