Nigeriens Nabbed With N15m Stashed Under Car Seats

Why would anyone hide over N15 million
cash under the seats and footmats of their
car moreso, when they are foreign
nationals?
That is what happened when three
nationals of Niger Republic were nabbed by
the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as they
attempted to enter the country. Apparently
aware that the trunk of the car would be
searched at the various checkpoints, the
smart alecs neatly stashed the cash where
they thought was hardly checked by
security agents.
Comptroller of Customs in-charge of
Katsina/Kaduna Area Command, Yusuf
Umar, who paraded the suspects identified
as Abdulrasheed Usman (22), his brother
Salisu (21), and Bishir Abdullahi (30),
before newsmen in Katsina at the weekend,
confirmed that nothing was found in the
boot of the suspects’ car, a Honda
Academy, with Nigerian registration
number, ABUJA ABJ 602 AE, when they were
intercepted at Makera checkpoint on Jibia –
Katsina road.
Mr. Umar further stated that the suspects,
who could be financial agents of a Bureau
De Change operator, took a bush path into
Nigeria to evade scanning machines of the
Customs Service at Jibia international
border.
According to him, the Nigeriens erred when
they failed to declare the cash on them
which is in disregard of the provisions of
Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011,
which states that transportation of cash or
negotiable instruments in excess of
USD10,000 or its equivalent by individuals
in or out of the country shall be declared
to the Nigeria Customs. Also, according to
Mr. Umar, the suspects contravened the
Customs and Excise Management Act
(CEMA) of 2004 and the Foreign Exchange
(Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions)
Act by failing to declare the said amount to
officers of the Customs.
“The claim of these suspects in this case
that they are financial agents to Yaura BDP
of Wapa, Kano, makes them liable. Who is
Yaura BDP, Wapa? Our investigation is
ongoing to ascertain the depth of
involvement and occupational identity of
the suspects.
“The alibi of collecting the money in Jibiya
while not travelling with a Nigerian
companion cannot hold water. It is my
sincere belief that the Nigeria Customs
Service and other relevant sister agencies
will get to the root of this matter so as to
ascertain the purpose for the movement of
this money,” the Comptroller said in a
prepared statement made available to
reporters