By Gbenga Nicholas, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned one Alhaji Ahmed Shaw before Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on charges of money laundering for failing to declare $90,000 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Shaw was arrested on March 3, 2025, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) while attempting to travel out of the country, according to Dele Oyewale, Head, Media & Publicity in a statement issued on Sunday.
He allegedly failed to declare the sum of $90,000 to the Nigeria Customs Service as mandated by law. The NDLEA subsequently handed him over to the EFCC for further investigation.
He was first arraigned on April 3, 2025, on a one-count charge of non-declaration of funds under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022, but initially pleaded not guilty.
At the resumed hearing on May 2, 2025, Shaw, represented by his counsel E.I. Ogundeji, informed the court of his intention to change his plea to “guilty.” As a result, he was re-arraigned on the same charge to reflect his new plea.
Prosecution counsel Z.B. Atiku presented Aminu Lawal, an EFCC operative, as the reviewing witness. Lawal told the court that Shaw confessed to failing to declare the funds and confirmed that a statement was taken under caution. He also presented critical evidence including the defendant’s statement, the NDLEA handover note, the arresting officer’s report, and the actual $90,000 cash.
Justice Dipeolu adjourned the case to May 6, 2025, for judgment.
