Man arrested with $2.198m at Lagos Airport

A 46-year-old Bureau De Change operator has been arrested at the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA2) Lagos for being in possession of $2,198,900 (about N500 million). The suspect, Ibiteye Bamidele, was arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Already, the NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, has directed that the suspect and the exhibit be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further action.

But Bamidele said the money belonged to a client identified as Dr Martins Thomas, a medical practitioner in Lagos.

He said he was acting on the instruction of Thomas, who asked him to take the money to Abuja.

He said: “I used to work for Ebi Bureau De Change at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, before I established my company with the name ND&C Global Investment Limited which is yet to be fully registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

“One of my clients, Dr. Martins Olufemi Thomas, gave me the said amount to take to Abuja.

I was arrested by NDLEA officers while checking-in the money at MM2 on my way to Abuja.” NDLEA intercepted the money at the airport. The money was seized by anti-narcotic officials on the grounds of suspected money laundering at the local wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA2) Lagos.

The Head, Media and Publicity, NDLEA, Mitchel Ofoyeju, said Bamidele was being investigated in connection with the case.

He said: “The suspect was apprehended on his way to Abuja. Preliminary investigation conducted by the Assets and Financial Investigation Directorate of our agency revealed that the man’s action is in contravention of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as Amended).

He alleged that the money belongs to one Dr. Martins Olufemi Thomas, a medical practitioner in Lagos.”

Ofoyeju added that investigation conducted by the agency did not link the money to proceeds of narcotics, stressing that a country having insurgency challenge could not afford to ignore suspicious movement of large amount of money.

Giade said: “The outcome of preliminary investigation did not link the money to proceeds of narcotics. I have therefore directed that the suspect be transferred to the EFCC for further investigation.”