Court Jails Man 3 Months For Non-declaration Of $30,000 In Possession At Airport

Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, convicted and sentenced Okunfulure Olusola Steve to three-month imprisonment for money laundering.

Steve was arrested on March 28, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for failing to declare the sum of $30,000 in his possession.

The NCS handed Steve over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation. He was subsequently arraigned on a one-count charge of money laundering.

The charge read: “That you, Okunfulure Olusola Steve, on the 28th day of March, 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $30,000 (Thirty Thousand United States Dollars) to the Nigerian 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.”

Steve pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel C.C. Okezie called upon Felicia Paul, an EFCC operative, to review the facts of the case. Paul testified that the NCS handed Steve over to the EFCC on March 28, 2025, and that Steve was found with $30,000 that he failed to declare. She explained that Steve’s statement was recorded under caution and that he was served with bail conditions.

The prosecution presented several documents, including the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note from the NCS, the arresting officer’s statement, and the sum of $30,000 seized from Steve. These documents were admitted as evidence by Justice Dipeolu.

In his ruling, Justice Dipeolu found Steve guilty as charged and convicted him. The prosecution then sought the forfeiture of the undeclared $30,000 to the Federal Government of Nigeria and requested that the defendant be jailed.

Defence counsel, Joel Ogundere, argued that Steve was a first-time offender who was unaware of the disclosure policy. Ogundere added that Steve was a family man with responsibilities, and that his bank account reflected the legitimacy of the funds. He requested that the court waive the prison sentence, suggesting that Steve could forfeit the money or pay a fine instead.

Justice Dipeolu sentenced Steve to three months in prison, effective from his date of arrest, March 28, 2025. The judge also ordered that the $30,000 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Steve, who was a departing passenger on a Delta Airlines flight to Atlanta, United States, had initially declared that he was not carrying any foreign currency but only Naira when being profiled at the Currency Declaration Desk. However, a subsequent search by NCS operatives uncovered the undeclared $30,000.