US-bound traveller forfeits undeclared $20,000 to FG

Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered a United States of America-bound traveller, Olusola Okunfulure, to forfeit the sum of $20,000 confiscated by the Nigerian Customs Service to the Federal Government.

Okunfulure was arrested by the NCS officials on March 28, 2025, during inward clearance of passengers for an evening flight to the USA via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, following his failure to declare the sum of $20,000.

Justice Dipeolu made the forfeiture order after Okunfulure was arraigned for the offence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Chineye Okezie, told the court that Okunfulure committed the offence on March 28, 2025.

However, Okunfulure pleaded guilty to the one count.

Following his plea, defence counsel, Joel Ogundire, made an allocutus on Okunfulure’s behalf, praying the court to temper justice with mercy, and for part of the money to be returned to the defendant.

Ogundire said: “He is a family man for more than 15 years. His bank account clearly shows that he’s into a legitimate business. He was shown the declaration form after he was cleared.

“We are not averse to forfeiting $20,000 out of the $30,000 as stipulated by law.”

Reviewing the case, the judge invited the EFCC to present its evidence against Okunfulure, an EFCC operative, Felicia Paul, while presenting the findings, said: “I know the defendant. On  March 28, men of the Nigerian Customs Service arrested the defendant at the Murtala Muhammed  International Airport on his way to America.

“He was arrested with $30,000, which he failed to declare. He was handed over to the commission with the sum of $30,000.”

Upholding the EFCC’s case, Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced Okunfulure to three months’ imprisonment.

However, the judge returned $10,000 to him.

“I have considered the plea of the convict and the fact that he did not waste the time of the court, as well as all the mitigating factors.

“I hereby order the convict to forfeit the sum of $20,000 to the Federal Government of Nigeria and for his imprisonment for three months,” Justice Dipeolu held.

In the charge, the EFCC said the convict failed to make a declaration of the sum of $20,000 out of the $30,000 to the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.

The anti-graft agency told the court that the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.