Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have launched an investigation into one Duru Ikechukwu Damian, who was arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for allegedly failing to declare $59,000 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
Damian was intercepted by NCS officers during a routine check at the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Currency Declaration Desk on Monday, August 11, 2025, while preparing to board an Emirates flight to Dubai.
According to officials, Damian initially claimed he was carrying only $10,000. However, upon further search, an additional $49,000 was discovered, bringing the total to $59,000—well above the legally permitted amount for undeclared foreign currency.
During the formal handover of the suspect to the EFCC on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the Area Comptroller of the NCS at the airport, E. I. Harrison, emphasized the agency’s commitment to compliance and inter-agency collaboration.
“We have been consistent in our public sensitization efforts. Announcements are made regularly, and electronic signages clearly display the need for travelers to declare their currencies. Despite this, some individuals still violate the law,” Harrison said.
Receiving the suspect, Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE I) Ahmed Ghali, reaffirmed the Commission’s resolve to enforce financial regulations.
“We are here to take custody of yet another Nigerian who has chosen to flout money laundering laws. Let it be clear: laws are meant to be obeyed, and those who violate them will face the consequences,” Ghali stated.
