Olusola Okunfulure
A Federal High Court, Lagos, today, Convict and sentenced an intended traveler to United States of America (USA) Olusola Okunfulure, to three months imprisonment, over failure to declare the sum of $30, 000 USD.
Apart from the jail-term, Olushola also forfeited the sum of $20,000 USD to the federal government of Nigeria.
The aboves were the verdict of Justice Deinde Dipeolu, who presided over the court, where the US-bound convict was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Olushola was arrested by the officials Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) officials on March 28, 2025, during inward clearance of passengers for an evening flight to the USA via the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, following his failure to declare the sum of $20,000.
During the arraignment of the convict, the EFCC through it’s prosecutor Chineye C. Okezie who led Filicia Paul, an investigator with the agency who gave evidence on a-count charge filed by the Commission against the defendant.
Okunfulure pleaded guilty to the charge.
Following his plea, the judge called on the EFCC to review the facts case against the defendant.
Presenting the EFCC’s findings, Paul said: “I know the defendant. On the 28th of March, men of the Nigerian Customs Service arrested the defendant at Murtala Muhammed International Airport on his way to America.
He was arrested with $30,000 which he failed to declare. He was handed over to the Commission with the sum of $30,000.”
Following the reviewing the facts of the case, defendnt’s counsel, Joel Ogundire made an allocutus on Okunfulure’s behalf, praying the court to temper justice with mercy, and for part of the money to be returned to the defendant.
Ogundire said: “he is a family man for more than 15 years. His bank account clearly shows that he’s into a legitimate business. He was shown the declaration form after he was cleared.
“We are not averse to forfeiting $20,000 out of the $30,000 as stipulated by law.”
Upholding the EFCC’s case, Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced Okunfulure to three months imprisonment.
The judge however, returned $10, 000 to the convict.
“I have considered the plea of the convict and the fact that he did not waste the time of the court, as well as all the mitigating factors.
“I hereby order the convict to forfeit the sum of $20,000 to the Federal Government of Nigeria, and he is hereby sentence to three months imprisonment,” Justice Dipeolu held.
In the charge, the EFCC alleged that Olusola failed to make a declaration of the sum of $20,000 out of the $30,000 to the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja.
The anti-graft agency told the court that the offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
