The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has apprehended an official of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Akinyele Adetula, for trying to launder $1.4m (N218m).

The arrest came less than a month after the commission arrested a 24-year old man, Mr. Abubakar Sheriff, at the same airport with $7m (N1.1bn).

Sunday PUNCH learnt that the suspect was arrested at Murtala Mohammed Airport on Saturday.

According the Head of Operations, EFCC, Mr. Iliyasu Kwarbai, the suspect was able to pass through Nigeria Customs Service and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency security checks because he was wearing his identity card and therefore did not draw any suspicion.

He said, "The suspect is a FAAN security guard. He wore his tag and was thus able to move freely in the airport without drawing suspicion. He was carrying a bag and it went through the scanner.

"The suspect passed through NDLEA and Customs and he went to the waiting area; but he started making phone calls instead of proceeding to board his flight. We accosted him and noticed that his bag was heavy.

"When we searched him, we saw the large sum of money, which he said did not belong to him and that he was only trying to telephone the owner who never showed up."

The EFCC authorities said the suspect was given the money by one Mr. Ifeanyi Urama, a bureau de change operator who also doubles as clearing and forwarding agent.

Urama, it was learnt, was recently granted bail by the EFCC after he was arrested with $996,000 (N155m).

Urama was alleged to have given Adetula the money, which belonged to a yet-to-be-identified person and Adetula was to help the unknown person to get the money past security.

Adetula, who claims to have worked for FAAN for over five years, said he was promised N10,000 if he could successfully get past security.

The indigene of Ondo State said this was his first time of committing such a crime.

He said, "Ifeanyi called me in the morning and told me to help him to take the bag and gave me someone's phone number and told me to call the person once I get to the area where the airplane would board.

"I didn't know the exact amount, but I knew the money was much. I would have informed authorities of the amount of money I was carrying but I was carried away by the phone call I was receiving."

Kwarbai told Sunday PUNCH that money launderers had begun to devise new means of beating security due to frequent arrests by the commission.

He said he was surprised that the suspect was able to pass the bag through the scanner without security agents raising the alarm - a move which he said implied that officials at the airport were beginning to connive with criminals.

He said the law stipulated that anyone attempting to travel with over $10,000 (N1.56m) cash must inform security agents at the airport and he/she must also be prepared to explain his/her source of livelihood.

He noted that within a period of three weeks, the commission had seized over $10.2m (N1.6bn) in Lagos alone.

"We appeal to airport officials and security agents to report cases of money laundering to the commission, as this is clearly economic sabotage," he said.

http://www.punchng.com/news/efcc-arrests-faan-official-with-n218m-at-airport/

What was his destination?, Dubai?

Hmmm.........naija na wa. Hope a comprehensive investigation will be undertaken and not swept under the carpet as usual.

See money o o ... And you were promised only 10k? That was too bad for your runs. And im sure thats why he was caught.

The EFCC has done a marvelous job so far in it's efforts to curb money laundering at MMIA. I hope they (EFCC) keep up the good work.
Meanwhile, the other security agencies at MMIA should be investigated for possibly aiding and abetting illegality.

I hope this guyz are not "minting and printing" the Dollars?
Ihave seen some funny looking and textured notes of recent.

Otherwise, if it is "legitimate money", why not just do a "forex transfer" (with small commission!) through your bank? WHY CASH?

If it smells like a rotten fish, its most likely a very rotten fish.

Lastpage!

Lost ur job now becos 10,000

If u wan chop fish, chop the one wey get eggs!

Crime nah crime, dullard should have made away wit the sack of dough. Now hez on his way to jail coz of 10k and Mr Ifeanyin iz nowhere tȍ be found!

lastpage: I hope this guyz are not "minting and printing" the Dollars?
Ihave seen some funny looking and textured notes of recent.

Otherwise, if it is "legitimate money", why not just do a "forex transfer" (with small commission!) through your bank? WHY CASH?

If it smells like a rotten fish, its most likely a very rotten fish.

Lastpage!

Exactly my thought. Seems like, minting and printing of the dollars is a new thing going on in this country now. Cos i can't phantom the huge amount this guys are laundering abroad.

Any time u catch people comitn crime, dy wl say its dia first time. Evn a 20yrs professional thief wl say its hs first time. EFCC is tryn vry wel in ds nation but d problem is, after few weeks u wont hear any news about d convict. Doest it mean dy colet dia share of d moni n releas dm or wat? E.....F.....C....C.. Una 2 much

lastpage: I hope this guyz are not "minting and printing" the Dollars?
Ihave seen some funny looking and textured notes of recent.
Otherwise, if it is "legitimate money", why not just do a "forex transfer" (with small commission!) through your bank? WHY CASH?
If it smells like a rotten fish, its most likely a very rotten fish.

Lastpage!

You cant FX such amount without meeting the banks compliance departments and without them documenting same with the EFCC, its necessarily not minting but its a clear case of money laundering as they dont want authorities to know the source of funds and destination of same. People are stupid, instead of investing funds in Nigeria, they are enriching other countries and blaming GEJ.

Just because of #10,000? Or is that also how much he used to bribe those hungry airport security who are happy to earn a quick buck even if it means conniving with criminals and drug dealers??

The biggest fool of the century,N10,000 to smuggle $1.4m pass security,haba bros.
Even my agent is demanding for 150k to get me a customer for my EOD which am selling for N2m,five years of service gone the drain for a mere N10,000,dumba:ss.

*handcuffs himself to refrain from commentin on this thread*

my question is where is faruk and his own dollars ?

This guy fall person hand big time. 10k for this kind deal

Do we hear the end of such "alpha but no omega" stories ?

They bore us with the 'arrests' but we never get to hear or know about their 'sentence/punishment'

What's up with Farouk?what's up with the 25yrs old?

Those once they have been discovering what are they using it for? Pleas, let me rest, jarri!!!

What an Idiot...

You have 1.4 million dollars in your hand...

and you agree to risk your life for 90 dollars

Kai...Your stupidity is caustic...

Even God himself vex, and thats why you were caught...Yoruba Olodo getting played by an Igbo Sharp Guy...

cheddarking: What an Idiot...

You have 1.4 million dollars in your hand...

and you agree to risk your life for 90 dollars

Kai...Your stupidity is caustic...

Even God himself vex, and thats why you were caught...Yoruba Olodo getting played by an Igbo Sharp Guy...

Hey don't go there. Condemn the crime and let's not go tribal over this issue, but seriously 10k for this huge sum of money, if I was the one my own share would have been nothing short of 2m shikina.

quite unfortunate; 5yrs wasted for 10,000. i reserve my comments though

Igbo and money business.

Okija_juju: OMG!!!


I almost went throught this thread thinking that the Nairaland norm of painting Ndi Igbos as criminals had changed until I looked and saw that the only highlighted portion of the original post was the part were an Igbo name was mentioned..

Ndi Yoruba, I greet una o!!

One day, una go tire..

The Yoruba lickers at it again. Hahahahaa.... Now that their mugu brother was caught red handed, he named an imaginary Igbo guy as his accomplice and the aturu o.p highlighted his name to take our attention off his Yoruba money laundering brother. How clever. Hahahahaaaa...... Laughwan tear my pant o.....

Na wa ooo

maybe na Bank ole get the money, who knows?

It seems the Airport Authority Security doesn't know what to do with MONEY. What an opportunity to sponsor a Political seat for continual possession of cash,

The phucking Op was only highlighting the portion with Igbo name. For what?

Ka chi gida ku