Crime
Court Jails Man 3 Months for Non-Declaration Of $30,000 at Airport: Lagos
Court Jails Man 3 Months for Non-Declaration Of $30,000 at Airport: Lagos
Court jails man 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at Airport: Lagos. Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, convicted and sentenced Okunfulure Olusola Steve to three Months imprisonment for money laundering.
The convict was arrested on March 28, 2025 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, for false currency declaration to the tune of $30,0000.
The NCS had, on Friday, March 28, 2025, handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Okotie Eboh, Ikoyi, Lagos for further investigations.
Consequently, he was arraigned on Wednesday on one-count charge bordering on money laundering.
The count reads: “That you, Okunfulure Olusola Steve, on the 28th day of March, 2025 in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $20,000 (Twenty Thousand United States Dollars) to the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and thereby committed an offence Contrary to and Punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”
The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.
Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie called on Felicia Paul, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.
Paul, while giving details of how she knew the defendant, told the court that the NCS handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC on Friday, March 28, 2025.
Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Paul also told the court that the defendant was arrested with the sum of $30,000, which he failed to declare. She further told the court that “ his statement was recorded under caution and was served with the bail conditions.”
Thereafter, she identified the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note from the NCS, the arresting officer’s statement as well as the sum of $30,000(Thirty Thousand US Dollars) to the EFCC.
Okozie then sought to tender, in evidence, the documents.
Justice Dipeolu admitted and marked them as exhibits 1,2,3 and 4 and held that “ I have read the exhibits, the statement of the defendant, and I found him guilty. He is accordingly convicted as charged.”
Okezie thereafter prayed that the undeclared sum of $20,000 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria and that the defendant be jailed.
Defence counsel, Joel Ogundere, while addressing the court, said that the defendant “is a first-time offender and is not aware of the disclosure policy . He is a family man and has responsibilities. His bank account shows the legitimacy of the funds.”
Court
He also prayed the court to “ magnanimously waive any prison sentence”, adding that the convict would not mind forfeiting the sum of money or pay a fine.
Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced the defendant to three months imprisonment, with effect from the date of his arrest on March 28,2025. The Judge also ordered that the money be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Steve, a departing passenger on Delta Airline to Atlanta, United States had declared that he was not in possession of any sum of money in foreign currency but in Naira, while being profiled at the Currency Declaration Desk.
However, the sum of $30,000 undeclared was found on him during a search conducted by operatives of the NCS.
He was subsequently handed over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC for further investigations, a development that led to his arraignment and conviction.
Court Sacks South Korea’s President Yoon Over Martial Law Declaration: Impeachment
Court sacks South Korea’s President Yoon over martial law declaration: Impeachment. Meanwhile, Mr Yoon still faces criminal insurrection charges over the imposition of martial law in a separate trial that started in February of this year.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court unanimously voted on Friday to formally unseat the country’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, ending months-long political uncertainty in the Asian nation.
The court’s decision followed the political battle between Mr Yoon and South Korean authorities after the National Assembly impeached the politician for declaring a short-lived martial law in December last year, which sent shockwaves worldwide.
In a ruling on Friday, eight justices of South Korea’s top court unanimously endorsed the decision of the Korean National Assembly to impeach Mr Yoon, which was the final piece of the puzzle needed to complete the permanent removal of the politician from office following his initial impeachment in a parliamentary vote on December 14.
By law, the court needs at least six justices to formally dismiss a president impeached by the National Assembly.
In the eight-justice court, Mr Yoon needed just three justices on his side to survive the parliamentary impeachment and regain office.
The ruling will finally provide some clarity on the country’s political situation for the first time since December last year, with the next action being to conduct a new national election within the next 60 days to elect a new president.
“It has been a great honour for me to work for the country,” Mr Yoon said in a statement released through his lawyers following the court’s decision. “I thank those who supported and cheered me despite my shortcomings. I am regretful and sorry that I could not live up to your expectations.”
South Korea’s President Yoon
Meanwhile, Mr Yoon still faces criminal insurrection charges over the imposition of martial law in a separate trial that started in February of this year.
He was formally arrested on those charges in January and was held for 52 days before a court ordered his release from detention last month.
Umahi Denies Owing N200m, Dismisses S3xual Harassment Allegations
Umahi denies owing N200m, dismisses s3xual harassment allegations. Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has denied claims that he owes N200 million to businesswoman Tracynither Ohiri for campaign materials allegedly supplied during his 2014 governorship campaign.
Speaking during an inspection of the Independence Bridge in Lagos on Thursday, Umahi dismissed the allegation as baseless, questioning the legitimacy of the claim.
“She claims I owe her N200 million from 2014, but my entire governorship campaign didn’t even cost that much,” Umahi said. “Where is the contract? Where did the funds come from? Let her publish her bank statements.”
The minister also accused Ohiri of being sponsored, alleging that she had made similar accusations against other governors.
He said he initially ignored the matter, thinking it was a mental health issue, but has now instructed his lawyers to take legal action.
Umahi Denies Owing N200m
Addressing separate allegations of s3xual harassment, Umahi strongly denied the claims, warning against what he called a dangerous trend of false accusations.
“This is unfortunate, and we’ll use this case to set an example,” he said, urging women to speak against baseless allegations that could harm genuine advocacy.
Unemployed Youth Jailed For Stealing Maize
Unemployed youth jailed for stealing maize. An Area Court in Jos on Friday sentenced an unemployed man, Jonathan Dazong, to six months’ imprisonment for stealing one bag of maize.
An Area Court in Jos on Friday sentenced an unemployed man, Jonathan Dazong, to six months’ imprisonment for stealing one bag of maize.
The judge, Shawomi Bokkos, sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to theft.
The judge, however, gave the convict an option of a N30,000 fine. He also ordered the convict to pay N70,000 to the complainant.
The police prosecutor, Daniel Damulak, told the court that Solomon Gyang had reported the case at the ‘B’ Division police station on February 2.
Youth Jailed For Stealing Maize
He said the convict trespassed into his house and stole one bag of maize worth N70,000.
The prosecutor further told the court that during the police investigation, Mr Dazong confessed to the crime.
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