$800,575, €651,505 Non-Declaration: EFCC Opens Case Against Austrian National
The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, presented its first prosecution witness in the trial of an Austrian national, Kavlak Onal, who was arrested for allegedly failing to declare $800,575 and €651,505 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
The witness, Prosecution Witness One (PW1), Yusuf Suleiman, a profiling officer with the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) attached to the airport, testified before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Onal, who was scheduled to travel to Dubai aboard an Emirates Airline flight, was intercepted by Customs operatives during a routine check at the Anti-Money Laundering/Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CFT) Currency Declaration Desk on Tuesday, December 16, 2025. He was subsequently handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.
Following investigations, the defendant was arraigned on Friday, January 9, 2026, on a two-count charge bordering on money laundering under the Money Laundering (Prohibition and Prevention) Act, 2022. He pleaded not guilty to both counts.
At the resumed hearing, PW1 told the court that he was approached by a protocol officer to assist a sick passenger who claimed he had no funds to declare. He said further checks revealed bundles of United States Dollars and Euros concealed in the defendant’s luggage.
According to him, there are public announcements at the airport informing passengers that any individual in possession of currency exceeding $10,000 must declare it to the Nigerian Customs Service. He added that there are also signages at both inbound and outbound terminals guiding passengers on how to declare currencies electronically.
PW1 explained that after personally asking Onal if he had any money to declare—and receiving a negative response—he instructed a colleague to search the defendant’s bag, where a large sum of foreign currency was discovered in different denominations.
He further testified that the defendant attempted to induce Customs officers to let him go, insisting that he could “settle” them, and that it was during this interaction that officers realised he was not ill as initially claimed.
The witness told the court that after counting the money, the sum was confirmed to be $800,575 and €651,505. He added that the defendant admitted knowing about the declaration point at the airport, stating that he was a frequent traveller who had previously carried amounts ranging between $20,000 and $30,000, but never such a large sum.
PW1 said the currencies were found in bundles and envelopes, some bearing names. He stated that the defendant’s statement was taken by the NCS, after which he was handed over to the Area Comptroller along with the money, his international passport, boarding pass, and statement. The defendant was later transferred to the EFCC for further investigation.
When the prosecution sought to tender the defendant’s statement through PW1, defence counsel, Victor Okpara, SAN, objected on the ground that it was not voluntarily made and was allegedly induced. He urged the court to order a trial-within-trial. Consequently, the prosecution withdrew the document, and the court granted the application.
During cross-examination, the defence questioned PW1 on Customs procedures, signage language, and whether the defendant filled any declaration form. The witness maintained that passengers could declare currency online, at the Customs Desk, or through airline request forms, and insisted that the defendant clearly stated he had no money to declare.
PW1 also denied claims that the defendant merely said he was unaware of the exact amount in his luggage, stressing that the defendant categorically denied having any money to declare in the presence of officers and his protocol officer.
Justice Bogoro thereafter adjourned the matter to February 27, 2026, for continuation of trial.
