Justice C.J. Aneke of the Federal High Court in
Lagos yesterday ordered Tijjani Sherif, the man caught at the Murtala Mohammed
International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos while travelling with $7 million (about
N1.1 billion) to forfeit 25 per cent of the undeclared $2,049 million to the
Federal Government.
Justice Aneke gave the order after the 25-year-old man pleaded guilty to a charge of non disclosure of the total sum of money in his possession, during check at the airport.
The court also ordered the seizure of all travelling documents of the accused person.
It will be recalled that Tijani, a Dubai-bound traveller was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for being in possession of the total sum of $7.5 million.
After he pleaded guilty, the EFCC tendered documents related to his arrest and detention as well as the accused's travelling documents which show that about 20 traders contributed the said sum for the accused to make some purchases in Dubai.
Counsel to the EFCC, Mohammed Yusuf, had informed the court that the accused was arrested by the police on September 27 at the international wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.
The lawyer maintained that the accused, who claimed to have collected various sums of money from different traders in Lagos, had failed to make a disclosure of the total sum of money he was conveying.
According to Yusuf, at the Customs check point of the airport, the accused had alleged that he had only $4.5 million in his suitcase.
He said that after a thorough search, the officers discovered that what the accused actually had in his possession was $7.5 million contrary to his initial claim.
The lawyer further told the court that on the whole, a total sum of $8.3 million had been recovered from the accused, which money was now deposited at the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).
According to him, the offence contravened Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellanous Act, 2004. Counsel to the accused, Mr Obafemi Ogundare, during allocutus (plead for leniency), urged the court to tamper justice with mercy, and be reluctant in confining the accused to prison since he is a first offender.
Ogundare pointed out that it would be a shame on the family of the accused, if their son was committed to prison, more so as he was a youngster.
In his judgement, Justice Aneke held that he would take into consideration the fact that the accused is a first offender and a young man.
The judge observed that the accused did not benefit from the money directly and that the court case is an eye opener for the accused and that by now, he should have learnt his lessons.
Justice Aneke gave the order after the 25-year-old man pleaded guilty to a charge of non disclosure of the total sum of money in his possession, during check at the airport.
The court also ordered the seizure of all travelling documents of the accused person.
It will be recalled that Tijani, a Dubai-bound traveller was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for being in possession of the total sum of $7.5 million.
After he pleaded guilty, the EFCC tendered documents related to his arrest and detention as well as the accused's travelling documents which show that about 20 traders contributed the said sum for the accused to make some purchases in Dubai.
Counsel to the EFCC, Mohammed Yusuf, had informed the court that the accused was arrested by the police on September 27 at the international wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos.
The lawyer maintained that the accused, who claimed to have collected various sums of money from different traders in Lagos, had failed to make a disclosure of the total sum of money he was conveying.
According to Yusuf, at the Customs check point of the airport, the accused had alleged that he had only $4.5 million in his suitcase.
He said that after a thorough search, the officers discovered that what the accused actually had in his possession was $7.5 million contrary to his initial claim.
The lawyer further told the court that on the whole, a total sum of $8.3 million had been recovered from the accused, which money was now deposited at the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).
According to him, the offence contravened Section 12 of the Foreign Exchange Monitoring and Miscellanous Act, 2004. Counsel to the accused, Mr Obafemi Ogundare, during allocutus (plead for leniency), urged the court to tamper justice with mercy, and be reluctant in confining the accused to prison since he is a first offender.
Ogundare pointed out that it would be a shame on the family of the accused, if their son was committed to prison, more so as he was a youngster.
In his judgement, Justice Aneke held that he would take into consideration the fact that the accused is a first offender and a young man.
The judge observed that the accused did not benefit from the money directly and that the court case is an eye opener for the accused and that by now, he should have learnt his lessons.
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