The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced an investigation into one Duru Ikechukwu Damian, who was apprehended by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for allegedly failing to fully declare the sum of $59,000 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
This development was disclosed on Wednesday through the Commission’s official X account.
According to EFCC’s statement, Damian was stopped by customs personnel on Monday during a standard inspection at the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Currency Declaration Desk. He was reportedly en route to Dubai aboard an Emirates Airline flight when the incident occurred.
Customs officers stated that the suspect initially declared only $10,000. However, upon further checks, an extra $49,000 was uncovered, making the total amount in his possession $59,000.
During the formal transfer of the case to the EFCC on Tuesday, E. I. Harrison, the Area Comptroller of NCS at the airport, noted that the action was in line with continuous enforcement operations.
“Today, we are having a process that we have been doing over a period of time. When we intercept currencies, we do the needful of handing over to the appropriate agencies of government. We have carried out sensitisation and public announcements. At the airport, announcements are made at intervals on the need for travellers to declare their currencies, and the electronic signages in the halls display these messages. Yet, at intervals, we also have people who fail to adhere to the extant laws and regulations,” Harrison explained.
Upon receiving the suspect, the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, ACE I Ahmed Ghali, reaffirmed the Commission’s dedication to enforcing financial laws.
“We are here to take over one of the recalcitrant Nigerians who do not want to abide by the law in relation to money laundering. But we will not relent in enforcing the law. All that we are saying is that laws are meant to be obeyed. So, we will always do our best, in line with our mandate, to ensure that any individual who violates the law does not go scot-free,” Ghali stated.
What you should know
The EFCC is investigating Duru Ikechukwu Damian over allegations of concealing $59,000 at Lagos airport. He allegedly declared only $10,000 before customs officers discovered an additional $49,000.
The Commission maintains that it will continue to pursue cases of currency declaration violations to uphold anti-money laundering regulations.
