EFCC Probes Passenger Over Undeclared $59,000 at Lagos Airport

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched 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 Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The EFCC disclosed the development on its official X  handle on Wednesday.

According to the Commission, customs officers intercepted Damian on Monday during a routine check at the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Currency Declaration Desk. He was booked to travel to Dubai via Emirates Airline.

The passenger reportedly declared only $10,000, but a search uncovered an additional $49,000, bringing the total cash in his possession to $59,000.

During the handover to the EFCC on Tuesday, the Area Comptroller of Customs at the airport, E. I. Harrison, explained that the move was part of sustained enforcement efforts. “Whenever we intercept currencies, we follow the procedure of handing them over to the appropriate government agencies. We have consistently sensitised travellers through announcements and signages on the need to declare their currencies, yet some still ignore the law,” Harrison said.

Receiving the suspect, Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC, ACE I Ahmed Ghali, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enforcing financial regulations. “We will not relent in ensuring that anyone who violates the law, especially in relation to money laundering, is held accountable. Laws are meant to be obeyed, and we will see to it that offenders face the consequences,” Ghali stated.