OKUNFULURE Olusola Steve was sentenced to three months in prison for money laundering after he failed to declare $30,000 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos.
CrimesChroniclers reports that Steve was convicted and sentenced by Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, April 2.
He was arrested on March 28, 2025, by Nigeria Customs Service operatives for false currency declaration.
He was then handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation. Steve was arraigned on a one-count charge of money laundering and pleaded guilty.
During the trial, prosecution counsel C.C. Okezie presented Felicia Paul, an EFCC operative, to review the case facts.
Paul testified that Steve was arrested with $30,000, which he failed to declare. She also identified the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note, and the arresting officer’s statement as evidence.
Justice Dipeolu found Steve guilty and convicted him as charged.
The prosecution prayed for the forfeiture of the undeclared $30,000 to the Federal Government of Nigeria and Steve’s imprisonment. Defence counsel Joel Ogundere pleaded for leniency, citing Steve’s first-time offender status and family responsibilities.
