Currency Trafficking: Governor Lamido’s Son Arrested

Aminu Lamido, son of the Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, after $50,000 cash was found in his possession.

EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren confirmed to P.M.NEWS that Aminu was arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, around midnight Tuesday, while trying to board an Egypt Air flight to Cairo.

Aminu was arrested for not declaring the true amount of the foreign currency he was travelling with.

When accosted by Customs officials, the governor’s son, who is said to be notorious for travelling with large amount of cash, declared only $10,000.

But on further search by the EFCC agents, an additional $40,000 was found on him, which prompted his immediate arrest.

The governor’s son is now in EFCC custody, preparatory to his being charged to court.

Last Monday, the EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde said that no less than N15.5 billion was intercepted at the nation’s airport between January and now.

He was speaking at the 2012 International Anti-Corruption Day celebrations with the theme, ACT….Help Detect Corruption Risks Today, organised by the Inter – Agency Task Team, IATT, comprising anti–corruption agencies.

Lamorde said the amount represented physical cash and not legitimate cash transfer through the financial institutions, taken out through the nation’s airports.

He said N14 billion being couriered outside the country was intercepted at the nation’s airports between January and August while the operation of a Special Task Team which is a joint patrol of the airport by the EFCC operatives and Nigerian Customs officers which commenced in September 2012, had yielded the arrest of illegal cash couriers with over $9 million dollars.

While linking the illegal transfer and corruption to sheer greed, callousness and meanness of the people involved, Lamorde gave example of an individual who was arrested for laundering money in cash to the tune of $7 million in a briefcase and flying out of the country through the airport.

—Tokunbo Olajide