Money laundering: Customs faults EFCC’s claim over arrest of suspect with $238, 858

From FRED ITUA, Abuja

Contrary to a widely circulated press statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) through its Head of Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren over the arrest of a Nigerian with $238, 858 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, the Nigeria Customs Services (NCS), FCT Command yesterday came hard on EFCC, accusing it of taking the ‘glory’ over an arrest which ought to have been credited to NCS. In an exclusive chat with Daily Sun, the Customs Area Controller, FCT Command, Controller Haruna M. Mahmud through the Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Bali M. Mercy, gave a detailed analysis of how operatives of the NCS made the arrest of the suspect,

Abdulrasheed Ibrahim at the Abuja International Airport on the November 7, 2012. She said: “During the outward clearance of Ethiopian Air flight No. ET910 of 7th November at about 1200hrs, a passenger by name Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, travelling to Dubai (UAE), declared the sum of forty five thousand US Dollars ($45,000) only.” She said on further suspicion and interrogation by an operative of NCS, an under-declared sum of $188,058.00 and on 1,710 Dirham, UAE money was found on him. She added that after the search and the discoveries of the aforementioned sums, the suspect was detained pending further directive from the FCT controller.

She revealed that the controller directed that the seizure be handed over to the EFCC official on duty at the Currency Counter for further investigation and possible prosecution. In the said press statement circulated by the EFCC, the spokesman claimed that the commission made the arrest and no reference regarding the role played by the NCS was mentioned which prompted a reaction from the command. All efforts to get a reaction from the EFCC spokesman yielded no results, as messages sent to his mobile phone were not responded to and calls made also proved abortive.