Customs Arrests Professor With $1mln Cash At Lagos Airport

The Nigeria Customs declined to state the name of the professor.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Muritala Muhammed Airport Command intercepted a Nigerian professor carrying $1 million on his way to Kenya, an official said on Wednesday.

The Customs Area Comptroller at the airport, Charles Edike, told newsmen in Lagos that the professor had been handed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigations.

He said that although the professor declared the money to customs officers at the airport, "the source of the money was not clear."

"He claimed to be the director of a company, A-Z Petroleum. He said he was carrying the money to Kenya to settle a dispute with a community over oil blocks. We were not comfortable with what he said, we have handed him over to the EFCC," Mr. Edike said.

He did not give the name of the professor and said that the command intercepted $12 million from 14 persons in 2012, adding that "all the 14 persons have been handed to the EFCC for prosecution".

Mr. Edike said the command generated N35 billion in 2012 as against N34 billion in 2011.
"Although we had more cargos in 2011, we generated more revenue in 2012. This was based on our insistence that every waybill must be accounted for."