The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Lagos has started investigating a woman named Phil-Olumba Ifunaya Sheila. She was arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) for trying to travel out of the country with a large amount of money without declaring it.
Sheila was stopped during a routine security check at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. When asked about the money she had, she claimed it was only $4,000. However, she was found with much more—$14,567, £1,030, and CA$40.
In another related case, the EFCC is also looking into a strange parcel found at the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST). Customs officers and NIPOST workers discovered that it contained a shocking amount of money—ZW$101 trillion (Zimbabwean dollars), worth over ₦426 billion, and 41.6 million Vietnamese dong, worth around ₦95,000.
The customs officer in charge at the airport, E.J. Harrison, said both cases were being handed over to the EFCC for further investigation. He explained that the suspicious parcel came from NIPOST and that the customs team acted quickly and responsibly to intercept it.
Harrison praised the customs officers and postal workers for staying alert and doing their job to stop illegal activities. He emphasized that stopping smuggling and undeclared funds is part of their duty.
Receiving the suspect and the foreign currencies, EFCC representative M.A. Timta assured that the commission would act fast to investigate both the suspect and the parcel. He said the EFCC is committed to tackling illegal financial activities in the country.
Timta, who spoke on behalf of the acting EFCC Zonal Director Ahmed Ghali, also thanked the Nigeria Customs Service for their hard work and cooperation in helping to fight financial crime.
