Steve Agbota

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command yesterday handed over a suspect with 2,886 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC). The Deputy Controller of MMIA, Abdulmumin Bako, of MMIA in a media briefing said that four Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards were also intercepted with the suspect. According to him, the suspect, lshaq Abubakar Abubakar, with passport number A08333717 from Kano State was intercepted when he was travelling to Dubai via Emirates Evacuation flight.

“At about 1145 hours on August 22, at the departure hall gate ’B’ of the MMIA, Abubakar with Passport Number A08333717 from Kano State travelling to Dubai via Emirates flight was intercepted with 2,863 ATM cards and four SIM cards by our officers on duty. The ATM cards and SIM cards were carefully concealed in noodles carton by the suspect.

The suspect claimed that Mr Musliu was assigned to him to facilitate his movement through the checks at the airport by Mr Suleiman but due to the diligence of our officers who insisted on conducting physical examination, revealed the concealment,’’ he said.

Related News

He said that the suspect and the items would be handed over to the EFCC for further investigation as directed by the Comptroller General of Customs. Bako pointed out that the suspect claimed that he was due for evacuation and had bought an evacuation flight ticket for his use.

The Customs legal adviser, Mr Smart Akande, noted that handing over the suspect to EFCC showed agencies’ collaboration, as Customs does not have the jurisdiction to prosecute but to arrest. “What we have here is the case file, ATM cards and the noodles used in concealing the ATM cards and we are handing them over to EFCC for further investigation and prosecution,’’ he said.

The Lagos zonal head, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, said the ATM cards could be used for money laundering or foreign exchange malpractices. He, however, vowed that everyone involved in the conspiracy would be arrested and prosecuted by the commission.

He said: “We have taken over Ishaq Abubakar, who is in possession of 2886 ATM cards concealed in a carton of noddles together with four SIM cards. It is for us here to investigate and know whether the conspiracy is for foreign exchange malpractices or money laundering. We are also to determine whether banks or bankers are involved in this crime. We will investigate and anyone found wanting will be prosecuted alongside the suspect.”