The Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Hammed Ali Thursday said the Agency has commenced investigation into the ownership of the commercial aircraft conveying $8.067 million that was seized last week at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMA), Ikeja Lagos.
Ali stated this in Abuja when he appeared before the House Committee on Finance, investigating the under-remittance of operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund by some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
He noted that the money suspected to be laundering funds has been handed over to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution.
According to Ali, the incident happened at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport and men of Nigerian Customs Service had an information that some consignment of the money was to be moved and they were on alert.
“Behold they had a vehicle, NAHCO vehicle driven on the 16th of January driven to the tarmac. Then there were three commercial aircrafts on the ground. Up till now we are still in the process of investigation to know which of these aircrafts that this money suppose to be loaded on.
“But the vehicle was intercepted on the tarmac and the Customs personnel accosted the driver and asked him because that vehicle did not suppose to be there.
“The FAAN for whatever reason, that investigation too, they opened the gate which is restricted to the vehicle and that vehicle found its way unto the tarmac. Then it was accosted by our own officers and they insisted they want to search the vehicle and there they found 8 wraps of consignments and they became suspicious. And they insisted they want to know the origin of the wraps and where they are going.
“The driver kept mute so he was the first suspect arrested. The Customs personnel arrested him then took the consignment and took it back to the Controller’s office.
“There the consignment was first and foremost put under detention and put in the sequence, then a seizure notice was given and that gave us the right under the law to now open the parcels and see what the contents are.
“And that was done in front of all other agencies that work at the airport under a camera. Each of those parcel was opened. There are names written on some of those bundles of money but up to this moment wee don’t know whether fititious or those names are real names of the people.
“And then the money was counted. They are all in $100 bails, they are all counted and at the end of the day we found $8,067,612. The only one parcel in small envelope was containing a few ones that are one hundred and seven and no the hehehehe few $12 were and aded to it. That was properly documented and then a seizure notice was issued. With that seizure, the Authority will now take custody of it.
“It is based on that, that we now do the Press Conference to show Nigerians what is happening in our airport. After that what we are doing, we are doing a preliminary investigation by right it is not our right to do investigation financial crimes at the airport.
“It is EFCC so we are only going to do the preliminary investigation, put the suspect and the amount together and hand it over to EFCC for an indepth investigation. It is our hope that at the end of the EFCC will reveal who are the owners of the fund, where is it suppose to go, what is it meant for. Those ones are not revealed at this moment.
“So I hope EFCC will reveal that and then the public will get to know what the funds are meant for, what is the nature of the fund and what are they suppose to do with it.For us, we are suspecting it is money laundering and we are going to hand over to the EFCC,” he explained.
Chairman of the Committee, James Faleke commended Customs for the success achieved so far, in a period when United States is giving Nigeria conditions under which the so called Abacha loot must to be returned to Nigeria but a Nigerian was also trying to loot dollars out of the country.
“But we commend the agency for the service for being vigilant and proactive and all we can do is to urge Nigerians to cooperate with Customs and all other law enforcement agencies to assist and give information as to what is happening that is not good”, Faleke stated.
While further commending Customs for extending excise to carbonated drinks, he said, “I agree with you that the soft drinks are injurious because of the level of sugar in it”.
