The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has
recovered over N1.44bn and 5753 grams of gold valued at N34m from suspected
bulk cash smugglers in the last three months.
An exclusive document, obtained by SUNDAY
PUNCH, showed that the money was recovered from only nine suspects at the
Lagos, Kano and Abuja international airports. A total of $9,132,880, N996,000
and £40 was recovered within the period.
The document showed that one of the suspects,
Abubakar Sherriff Tijjani, who was intercepted by the operatives of the EFCC on
September 27, was carrying $7m at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport,
Lagos en route to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Another suspect, Tasiu Ilu Kura, was arrested on
September 30, with $700,000 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport,
Kano. He was also heading for Dubai.
Also at the Kano airport, Idris Hamza, was
arrested on October 17, with $27,000. He was said to have declared only $3,000.
Umar Musa Kibiya, was arrested at the same
airport the same day, with $80,000 concealed in his bag. Kibiya was said to
have claimed that he was on a business trip to Dubai. However, he declared only
$40,000.
At the Lagos airport, Adetula Akinyele, a
security guard with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria was arrested on
October 21, with $1.4m. Ifeanyi Uramah and Emmanuel Nnanna are the other
suspects in the case.
The document read, “Hyginus Ezedimbu was
apprehended at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on November 3,
as he prepared to board an Ethiopian Airline on his way to China. He was caught
with $50,000 but he declared $49,971.
“Apart from under-declaring the money in his
possession, Ezedimbu could also not explain the ownership of the money, nor was
he able to produce the receipt with which he purportedly purchased the forex
from a Bureau De Change operator, Musa Adamu.
“Abdulrasheed Ibrahim was arrested on November 7,
as he prepared to board a Dubai-bound Ethiopian Airline. A total of $188,858
was found on him. He had declared $45,000 only for a search on him to reveal
additional $143, 858. Further search showed that he was carrying £40 and 5753g
of solid gold worth N34, 518,000.”
The document added that the duo of Oteh Emenike
and Nkem Sebastain were arrested at the Lagos airport on September 22 and
September 29, respectively.
While Emenike was arrested with N996, 000 as he
prepared to board an Ethiopian Airline flight to China, Sebastain was arrested
with $288,000 on his way to China through Dubai. He was said to have declared
only $200,000.
The commission’s acting Head, Media &
Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the report.
He said, “We are still investigating the cases
and we will not relent in our fight against money laundering.”
Meanwhile, the commission has arrested a former
Chairman of Sabon Gari Local Government, Zaria, Kaduna State, Mr. Kasimu
Abubakar, also known as Abasco.
Uwujaren explained that the arrest was made,
following a petition by a non-governmental organisation, Human Rights and
Rescue Operation, which alleged that Abubakar abused his office to enrich
himself.
The EFCC said the former council boss was also
accused in the petition of illegal acquisition of properties worth billions of
naira.
He said, “Operatives of the commission stormed
the council in the course of investigation and discovered that evidence would
be difficult to find. They learnt that the local government secretariat
building, particularly the treasury department, had been gutted by fire and
thus documents cannot be accessed anymore.
“However, in the course of executing a search
warrant at the home of the suspect, the operatives recovered several official
documents belonging to the local government. Some property have been recovered
from him.”
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