Alleged Money Laundering: EFCC Re-arraigns Man for Non-declaration of $90,000

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Okotie-Eboh, Ikoyi, Lagos, on Friday , May 2, 2025, re- arraigned one Alhaji Ahmed Shaw  before Justice D.I.Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos for money laundering.  

He was arrested on March 3, 2025 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA,  for non-declaration of the sum of $90,000 (Ninety Thousand United States Dollars) and was handed over to the EFCC for further investigations. 

He was arraigned on April 3, 2025 on a one-count charge, bordering on money laundering.

The  charge reads: “That you, Alhaji Ahmed Shaw, on the 3rd  day of March, 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $90,000 (Ninety Thousand United States of America Dollars) to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.” He pleaded “ not guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.

At the sitting on April 15, 2025, the prosecution presented the First Prosecution Witness, PW1, Danladi Ibrahim, an NDLEA operative in the matter. However, at the resumed sitting of May 2, 2025, defence counsel, E.I. Ogundeji, informed the court that the defendant wished to change his “not guilty” plea.

He was, therefore re-arraigned on the same charge to enable him take his new plea and he pleaded “guilty.” Following his new plea, prosecution counsel, Z.B Atiku, called on Aminu Lawal, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Lawal told the court that the defendant was arrested with the sum of $90,000, which he failed to declare. “His statement was recorded under caution and he narrated that he did not declare the sum of $90,000 (Ninety Thousand United State Dollars), " he said.

Lawal identified the defendant’s statement, the handover note from the NDLEA, the arresting officer’s statement as well as the sum of $90,000 (Ninety Thousand US Dollars), which were all tendered in evidence.

Justice Dipeolu adjourned the matter till May 6, 2025 for delivery of judgment.