Money laundering: EFCC re-arraigns man for non-declaration of $90,000

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on Friday, May 2, 2025, re-arraigned one Ahmed Shaw  before the Federal High Court sitting in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State for money laundering.

Shaw was arrested on March 3 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos by the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for non-declaration of the sum of $90,000 and was handed over to the EFCC for further investigations.

Shaw was arraigned on April 3 on a one-count charge bordering on money laundering.

The charge read: “That you, Alhaji Ahmed Shaw, on the 3rd day of March, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $90,000 to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.”

He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.

Man jailed for non-declaration of foreign currencies at Lagos airport
 
At the sitting on April 15, the prosecution presented the first prosecution witness, Danladi Ibrahim, an NDLEA operative in the matter.

However, at the resumed sitting on May 2, the defence counsel, E.I. Ogundeji, informed the court that the defendant wished to change his “not guilty” plea.

He was therefore re-arraigned on the same charge to enable him take his new plea and he pleaded “guilty”.

Following his new plea, the prosecution counsel, Z.B Atiku, called on an operative of the EFCC, Aminu Lawal, to review the facts of the case.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Lawal told the court that the defendant was arrested with the sum of $90,000, which he failed to declare.

Lawal identified the defendant’s statement, the handover note from the NDLEA, the arresting officer’s statement as well as the sum of $90,000, which were all tendered in evidence.

The presiding judge, Justice D.I. Dipeolu, adjourned the matter till May 6, 2025, for the delivery of judgement.

The Star