A federal high court in Kano has convicted Hauwa Ibrahim for illegally bringing into Nigeria an undeclared sum of $1,154,900 and 135,900 Saudi Riyals from Saudi Arabia.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), in a statement on Friday, announced that Ibrahim was apprehended by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport for failing to disclose the funds as required by law.
Following her arrest, she was handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.
According to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Ibrahim was charged with money laundering under Section 3(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. When arraigned in court, she pleaded guilty to both charges.
The prosecution, led by Musa Isah, presented evidence, including the undeclared funds, and urged the court to convict her accordingly.
Presiding Judge S. M. Shuaibu permitted Ibrahim to give an allocutus—a plea for leniency—before sentencing.
During her defence, Ibrahim claimed she was misled by a man named Nafiu in Saudi Arabia, who asked her to transport a box to Nigeria, assuring her it contained only dates and a small amount of money.
Upon arrival in Kano, she handed the box to a designated recipient but was later summoned by airport authorities.
It was then she discovered the actual contents of the box.
Despite her plea for leniency, the court found her guilty and ordered the forfeiture of the seized funds to the federal government.