The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Directorate, has secured the conviction of Hauwa Abdullahi Ibrahim for smuggling an undeclared sum of $1,154,900 and SDR135,900 from Saudi Arabia into Nigeria. The forfeited funds have been handed over to the Federal Government.
Ibrahim was sentenced after pleading guilty to a two-count charge of money laundering before Justice S. M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano.
She was arrested by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Wednesday for attempting to smuggle the undeclared sum into Nigeria without following the mandatory declaration process required by law. Following her arrest, she was handed over to the EFCC for investigation and prosecution.
The EFCC charged her with two counts of money laundering under Section 3(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Upon her arraignment, she pleaded guilty to both charges when they were read to her.
Justice Shuaibu granted an allocutus, allowing Ibrahim to present her side of the story. She explained that she had been approached by an individual named Nafiu in Saudi Arabia, who requested that she transport a box to Nigeria. According to her, Nafiu assured her that the box contained dates and a small amount of cash. Trusting his words, she agreed to carry the box and was given the contact details of a woman in Kano who would receive it from her upon arrival.
Upon landing at the Kano airport, Ibrahim contacted the woman and handed over the box. However, shortly after she left the airport, she was recalled by the authorities and asked to return with her international passport to clear the box, as she had been identified as its carrier. Upon her return, she was arrested and shown the contents of the box, which contained the undeclared sum.
She pleaded with the court for leniency, insisting that she had no knowledge of the money inside the box and that she had been deceived by the sender.
Considering her plea, Justice Shuaibu convicted Ibrahim and ordered the forfeiture of the undeclared money to the Federal Government in accordance with Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act of 2022.
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