By Nkechi Eze
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, arraigned one Agudosi Christopher Okechukwu for alleged non- declaration of the sums of £8,020 (Eight Thousand and Twenty Pounds Sterling) and $704 ( Seven Hundred and Four United States Dollars) before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to an official signed statement by the spokesperson of the commission, the defendant was arrested in December 2024 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, for non-declaration to the tune of £8020 and $704 and was subsequently handed over to the EFCC for further investigations.
Consequently, he was arraigned on Tuesday on a two-count charge bordering on money laundering.
The count reads: “That you, Agudosi Christopher Okechukwu, on the 10th day of December, 2024 in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court , failed to make a declaration of the sum of £8,020 (Eight Thousand and Twenty Pounds Sterling) to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charges when they were read to him.
Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie called on Abubakar Magaji, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.
Magaji told the court that the NCS handed over the defendant to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, Okotie Eboh, Ikoyi, Lagos for further investigation after he was arrested with the sum of £8020 and $704.
He further told the court that “His statement was recorded under caution. He stated that he was arrested at the MMIA Airport with a total sum of £15,020 , and $704. He also stated that he declared £7000 and forgot to declare the sums of £8020 and $704 on him”
“He said he did not make the declaration because he claimed to have suffered a loss and was going to bring back 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 sum of £8020, and $704 to the EFCC.
The prosecution counsel then sought to tender, in evidence, all the documents.
Justice Bogoro admitted and marked them as exhibits P1-P11.
The Judge adjourned the case till May 2, 2025 for judgment and ordered that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional Centre.
