In recent times, more and more Nigerians have been arrested trying to travel out of the country with large sums of money which exceed the legal amount for traveling.
Yesterday, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrestedAminu Lamido, son of the Jigawa state governor at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, for money laundering.
According to Channels TV, an undisclosed sum of $40,000 was found on him as he prepared to board an Egypt bound flight.
Sources close to the Commission told Channels TV that Lamido was flagged after he declared $10,000 in his possession to agents of the Nigerian customs at the airport. Further checks by the agents revealed that he had an additional $40,000 which he did not declare.
In September, a 24 year-old man, Abubakar Tijani Sheriff was arrested for attempting to travel with the sum of $7 million (N1, 120,000billion). He was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International airport, Lagos as he was trying to travel to Dubai aboard a United Arab Emirates flight.
Abubakar’s arrest further exposed the rising rate of money laundering in Nigeria. Travellers leaving the country are statutorily required to declare cash in excess of $10,000. However, what makes this one even more interesting is the fact that the person arrested is the son of a state governor.
He is now being detained by the EFCC.
