A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has remanded a Sierra Leonean, Ahmed Shaw, for allegedly hiding $90,000 on arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
Shaw was arraigned before Justice D.I.Dipeolu by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after their investigation indicated that the foreign national allegedly hid the fund from the Nigeria Customs Service.
As gathered, the Sierra Leonean businessman was later apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for non-declaration of the sum of $90,000 on arrival.
On arraignment yesterday, Justice Dipeolu adjourned the case till April 15, 2025 for commencement of trial after the businessman pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him by the anti-graft agency.
Aside from that, the judge ordered that the defendant be remanded at a Correctional Centre pending the trial date in the state.
Earlier, it was learnt that the defendant was apprehended on Friday, March 5, 2025, by NDLEA and handed over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, Okotie Eboh, Ikoyi, Lagos, for further investigations.
Consequently, he was arraigned barely a month after on a one-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering.
The count 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 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.”
During proceedings, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him, a development which prompted the prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie, to appeal before court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded.
