Court Remands Sierra Leonean For Failing To Declare $90,000 Cash To Customs

The Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday, remanded a Sierra Leonean, Alhaji Ahmed Shaw, in custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) for allegedly failing to declare $90,000 cash in his possession to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).

The trial judge, Justice Dipeolu, ordered that Shaw be kept behind bars after he was arraigned before him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The anti-graft agency accused the defendant of failing to declare the $90,000 during the inward clearance process for travellers bound for Sierra Leone.

The prosecutor, Okezie Chineye, had earlier informed the court that the defendant committed the offence at Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, and that it contravenes section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The defence counsel, Victor Chinedu, informed the court that he was unprepared for trial because his client was served with a copy of the charge on Thursday morning.

Following the development, Justice Dipeolu adjourned the trial until April 15 and remanded the defendant in a custodial centre.