Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja has convicted Mallam Abulrasheed Ibrahim for money laundering.
After the dramatic turn of changing his plea of guilt to plea of innocence at the last sitting on Tuesday 21st January 2013, Mallam Abdulrasheed Ibrahim on Wednesday withdrew his plea and pleaded guilty to the offence.
He was arrested last November by operatives of the Economic and Fonacial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as he prepared to board a Dubai, United Arab Emirate-bound Ethiopian airline at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, where he declared the sum of $45,000 but a search revealed additional $143,858.
EFCC counsel, Chioma Okongwu did not object to the withdrawal of the not-guilty motion. The defence counsel, Efut Okoi pleaded on behalf of the accused for leniency, saying he was a first time offender and an honest business man who has dependants. He further pleaded that since the charge has the option of fine, the court should mitigate the fine stipulated by law.
Justice Adamu Bello ruled that 25 per cent of the total sum, which is $188,858 be forfeited and paid into the Federal Government Treasury by the court accountant and that the remaining money returned to the convict through his counsel.
The charge against the convict read: “That you Abdulrasheed Ibrahim on or about the 7th November 2013 at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court while transporting in cash the sum of $188,858.00 only from Nigeria to Dubia, United Arab Emirate falsely declared to the Nigerian Customs Service the sum of $45,000 only instead of the said sum of $188,858.00 as required under Section 12 of the foreign exchange ( monitoring and miscellaneous provisions) Act Cap F34 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 and Section 2 (3) of the Money Laundering Prohibition act 2011 and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 2(5) of the money laundering prohibition act 2011.”
