According to Eximia, operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have commenced investigations into one Duru Ikechukwu Damian, who was apprehended by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for allegedly failing to declare a total sum of $59,000 in his possession.

Damian was intercepted on Monday, August 11, 2025, during a routine check at the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Currency Declaration Desk at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos. He was scheduled to board an Emirates Airline flight to Dubai when Customs officers discovered the alleged offence.

The suspect reportedly claimed he was carrying only $10,000, but a subsequent search uncovered an additional $49,000 concealed in his belongings, bringing the total to $59,000.

On Tuesday, August 12, 2025, the NCS formally handed Damian over to the EFCC for further action. E. I. Harrison, Airport Area Comptroller of Customs, reiterated the agency’s ongoing efforts to sensitise travellers on the legal requirement to declare all foreign currency exceeding the stipulated limit.

“Today, we are continuing a process we have maintained over time: when we intercept undeclared currencies, we hand them over to the appropriate agencies for further action. We have carried out public sensitisation, and announcements are regularly made at the airport, alongside electronic signages reminding travellers to declare their currencies. Yet, from time to time, we encounter people who disregard these laws,” Harrison said.

Receiving the suspect, ACE I Ahmed Ghali, Acting Zonal Director of EFCC Lagos Directorate 2, vowed that the Commission would remain firm in enforcing anti-money laundering laws.

“We are here to take custody of another individual who has chosen to ignore the provisions of the law on currency declaration. Our message is clear: laws are meant to be obeyed, and we will not relent in ensuring that those who violate them are held accountable,” Ghali stated.

The EFCC is expected to determine whether Damian’s actions constitute an offence under Nigeria’s Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and related financial regulations.