The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), based in Ikoyi, has brought a Sierra Leonean national, Alhaji Ahmed Shaw, before Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos over his alleged failure to declare $90,000 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Shaw was apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on March 3, 2025, for not disclosing the sum upon arrival at the airport.
The NDLEA subsequently transferred him to the EFCC’s Lagos office on March 5 for further investigation.
Following the probe, the EFCC arraigned Shaw on April 3, 2025, on a single charge related to money laundering.
The charge stated that he failed to declare the cash amount to the Nigeria Customs Service, an act considered an offence under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022.
Shaw pleaded not guilty when the charge was read in court. In response, the prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie, requested a trial date and asked that the defendant be held in a correctional facility pending proceedings.
Justice Dipeolu scheduled the trial to begin on April 15, 2025 and ordered Shaw’s remand until then.