Man sentenced to six months for failing to declare foreign currency at Lagos airport
A man, Agudosi Okechukwu, has been sentenced to six months in prison for failing to fully declare foreign currency at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court handed down the sentence on Friday after Okechukwu pleaded guilty to money laundering charges filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Okechukwu was arrested by Nigerian Customs officers in December 2024 for attempting to leave the country with £15,020 and $704, but declaring only £7,000. The undeclared funds—£8,020 and $704—were discovered and he was later transferred to the EFCC.
He was arraigned on April 15, 2025, and charged with two counts under the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
He received a six-month sentence on each count, with an option to pay a fine of N200,000 per count.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the undeclared funds to the Federal Government. During the trial, an EFCC officer testified that Okechukwu claimed he intended to use the money for repatriating his late brother’s remains.