Saturday, July 26, 2008 Printer Friendly Version

Man arrested with N12m hidden in trousers

By Sesan Olufowobi


Twenty-nine-year old Razaq Ojuawo reckoned it was no crime helping some market women to convert the naira into foreign currencies. But he was grossly mistaken. As far as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is concerned it is a crime that provides a platform for other forms of crime.



Razaq Ojuawo



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He has consequently become a guest of officials of the commission who accused him of operating an illegal bureau-de-change and moving in an out of the country without declaring the amount of money on him. The commission suspected that Ojuawo had engaged in the illicit business for some time before he was caught on Saturday.

Ojuawo was on his way from Cotonou, Benin Republic, to Nigeria when he was arrested at the Seme end of the Nigeria-Benin international border. Saturday Punch learnt that it was his funny way of dressing that gave him away to security agents.

It was gathered that the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency officials at the border noticed that while he appeared to have a lanky frame, his legs appeared unusually fat.

Out of curiousity, the officials invited and searched him. To their surprise, they discovered that he had tied N12 million worth of Beninois currency, CFA, around his legs with the aid of sellotape.

He was subsequently arrested and handed over to the EFCC.

He told the commission’s operatives that the money was contributed by some traders at Ebute Ero, Lagos Island market, who were preparing to travel to Cotonou to make some purchases.

“The total money was N12 million. I changed it to $100,000 at a bank here in Lagos and then went to change it to CFA 40 million in Cotonou.

“We were just trying to make trading easier for them so that by the time they got to Benin, they would not need to go through the stress of changing the money to CFA,” Ojuawo said.

He said he was able to go to Benin without being detected by the Nigerian and Beninoise security officials because the dollar equivalent was small and therefore easy to conceal.

Spokesman of the EFCC, Femi Babafemi, said that investigation by EFCC had shown that Ojuawo had a bureau-de-change that he operated illegally on Oguntola Ogunlola Street in Ebute Ero. “I think the name of the outfit is Ogunseye Nigeria Limited,” he said.

But Ojuawo said the outfit was owned by a man named Tunde who gave him the money in the first place.

Babafemi, however, said that the commission would investigate Ojuawo’s claims before charging him to court for operating an illegal bureau-de-change and failing to declare the money at the border post.





http://odili.net/news/source/2008/jul/26/406.html

bad guy!

tie money for body like wrapper

What kind of name is [b]Gonorrhea [/b]abeg?

@Topic, EFCC should look for thieves and leave the young man alone. How many men his age in Nigeria can be trusted with such amount of money? It shows he has a good character else those women won't be giving him money. The poor will always suffer.

Shooot!!! so much tribalism at EFCC.

DeepZone:

@Topic, EFCC should look for thieves and leave the young man alone. How many men his age in Nigeria can be trusted with such amount of money? It shows he has a good character else those women won't be giving him money. The poor will always suffer.

Spokesman of the EFCC, Femi Babafemi, said that investigation by EFCC had shown that Ojuawo had a bureau-de-change that he operated illegally on Oguntola Ogunlola Street in Ebute Ero. “I think the name of the outfit is Ogunseye Nigeria Limited,” he said.

they should encourage him to register, fine him and let him continue with his business.


he certainly providing services which the BANKs dont care about.

Why are they harassing innocent guys changing money? They will probably try and seize all his money. What of all the Hausa guys changing money in any Lagos market you go to? Are they fully registered? This is a common crime in Nigeria. it is equivalent to paying Rojer to Police to let your car pass. I guess he was making too much for them.

Ibime:

What of all the Hausa guys changing money in any Lagos market you go to? Are they fully registered. This is a common crime in Nigeria. it is equivalent to paying Rojer to Police to let your car pass. I guess he was making too much for them.

Abi o! They should leave the guy joo. At least, he was honest enough to go and come back with the money.

EFCC had better look for Criminals .

This guy should just be advised and allowed to do his business Legally.

EFCC had better look for Criminals Angry.

This guy should just be advised and allowed to do his business Legally.

EXACTLY, no jobs.and the man is doing something for himself and they are holdig him, Is it not better he did not turn ton robbery.

A round of appalause for the millennium arrest
abeg they should leave the honest man joor

Mayne, Bad Guy!

the report didn't specify his offence na!

Who knows? he might not believe in a cashless society

they want their own share jare
the guy should just roger them

Why are they harassing innocent guys changing money? They will probably try and seize all his money.[b] What of all the Hausa guys changing money in any Lagos market you go to?[/b] Are they fully registered? This is a common crime in Nigeria. it is equivalent to paying Rojer to Police to let your car pass. I guess he was making too much for them.

I wonderooo; How can they turn blind eye on ibori, Odili, Obasanjo, babangida that give their girlfriends N12M to cook one pot of soup and arrest a husssling young man?

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!
I use to think that it's only Ndigbos that love or like money? Has the world gone crazy?

Echo Echo.
Rubbish; they should catch some real criminals or follow to conclusion through the cases they so sensationalize in the papers on thieving governors and the likes. Nonsense.
Better still stop wasting money and close the EFCC sef, as they obviously don't function.

They should leave the man alone, what happened to thieves like Obasanjo and the likes of them, why are they chasing people trying to make thier own "bread and butter" abeg jare.

when pple are talkin billions their wastin the news space 4 mere 12 million that the person he stole 4rm wont even notice

when people are talkin billions their wastin the news space 4 mere 12 million that the person he stole from wont even notice

Dude did not even steal the money. He's hussling to make ends meet.

Ha ha ha ha ha!!!
I use to think that it's only Ndigbos that love or like money? Has the world gone crazy?

Whatever!!! the guy looks ibo to me and his name may be an alias. Na only ibo boys fit pad money like that dey waka like dem no get shishi

All this ogbomosho boys sef why him no carry juju foloow body naw.
Anyway make him shine him eye very soon those money go grow wing fly away.
EFCC/NDLA all na agberos,

All this ogbomosho boys sef why him no carry juju foloow body naw.
Anyway make him shine him eye very soon those money go grow wing fly away.
EFCC/NDLA all na agberos,

When did he become Ogbomosho?

DeepZone:

Whatever!!! the guy looks ibo to me and his name may be an alias. Na only ibo boys fit pad money like that dey waka like them no get shishi

Here we go, I wrote that knowing that you will jump in and I am right, you jumped in headlong. How does Igbo guys look? they look black? ha aha ha! I thought they said we only wear over starch brocade? until your alias theory is proven, we will assume he is not an Igbo man and that everybody part from Igbo wants better things in life and money provides better things. The guy was even lucky, they did not kill him and call him an armed robber with a toy gun left on his side as evidence and no questions asked. Remember the Apo six?

I am sure when your theory of alias is proven, your opinion will drastically change from a guy trying to make a living to a greedy Igbo bastard. ha ha ha!!!

I am sure when your theory of alias is proven, your opinion will drastically change from a guy trying to make a living to a greedy Igbo bastard. ha ha ha!!!

Whatever!!! Don't mistake me for an ibo hater cos am not.

ROTFLMAO

DANG! this is tooo funny

that dude is a hustler shd have worn baggy jeans tho

[size=13pt]Can you imagine the nonsense. They always go after the poor and powerless innocent people.[/size]

What criminal offence has he committed?

Is it true, that he is from Osun State?

The guy is a genuine hustler and should be encouraged to register and operate his business legally. . . these guys just flex muscles over nothing.

EFCC are yet to be able to do anyting to Iyabo OBJ_Bello and now they wanna harass a guy that is maing a living, what a shame.

i agree with you, but come to think of it; what would a man be doing with N12m in his pocket. even bill gates can not carry $10,000 around just like dat.

@papa, so wot re u implying