A man identified as Agudosi Christopher Okechukwu has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos. He is facing charges for not declaring the total amount of foreign currency he had with him while traveling through Murtala Muhammed International Airport in December 2024. The EFCC brought him before Justice Yellim Bogoro after investigations revealed he failed to declare £8,020 and $704 to officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, which led to a two-count charge of money laundering.
According to court proceedings, Okechukwu was first apprehended by customs officers who discovered the undeclared funds during a routine check. He was later handed over to the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 for further action. During his appearance in court, Okechukwu pleaded guilty to the charges. The prosecution, led by C.C. Okezie, called EFCC operative Abubakar Magaji to provide details of the case. Magaji told the court that Okechukwu initially declared £7,000 but failed to mention he was also carrying an additional £8,020 and $704.
In his statement recorded under caution, Okechukwu explained that the oversight was unintentional. He claimed he was under emotional stress due to the recent loss of his brother and had traveled to recover the corpse. He supported his claim by submitting his brother’s death certificate, photographs, and other related documents.
To strengthen the case, Magaji presented several items including the defendant’s signed statement, the note from Nigeria Customs confirming the handover, statements from the arresting officers, and the undeclared cash itself. These were accepted by the court and marked as exhibits P1 through P11.
The court has scheduled the final judgment for May 2, 2025. Until then, Okechukwu will remain in custody at a correctional facility.
