The police in neighbouring Niger Republic have arrested a Nigerian carrying 4.6m Euros (N1.05bn) in cash. The man was arrested at the Diori Hamani Airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, en route Dubai in the United Arab Emirate.

The Nigerien police said they suspected that the man was fleeing with the money in order to avoid being caught by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who has been prosecuting an anti-corruption campaign since assumption of office on May 29.

They also expressed worry that there had been an upsurge in the number of Nigerians trafficking huge sums of money in cash through the neighbouring country.

The police in Niger are already working on the suspicion that the money traffickers have accomplices in the country.

The arrest of the Nigerian has been a big news item in the Nigerien newspapers and television stations.

Curiously the authorities here on Wednesday claimed ignorance of the money seizure in the neighbouring country though the Customs officers in Niger were already kicking against repatriating the cash to Nigeria.

A media report in Niger on Saturday said the National Union of Customs Officers at a press briefing “denounced the request of the Nigerian authorities” to return the seized money.

The Customs official said there had been several similar seizures in Niamey from people trafficking money from Nigeria, putting the amount that had been so seized in several billions of naira.

They said the seized money had been mainly in dollars, euros and pounds sterling, asking the Niger authorities to allow the Customs officials to do their job without interference.

When contacted, the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said he could not speak on the development because his brief was to speak for the President.

He therefore referred one of our correspondents to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“I speak for the President. On this kind of issues, I will advice that you speak with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the officials denied knowledge of the seizure in Niger Republic. The ministry’s spokesperson, Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode, said the ministry had not received official communication on the arrest of any Nigerian.

“I am hearing about this incident for the first time from you, we have not received any communication on the matter from any quarters,” he said over the telephone.

Calls to the Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Emeka Obua, did not elicit any response.

He also did not respond to text messages to his mobile telephone on the issue.

The Nigerien embassy in Abuja could not be reached for comment on Wednesday as calls to the mission’s phone lines failed to connect.

The spokesman for the Nigerian Customs Service, Mr Wale Adeniyi could not be reached for comments as text message and repeated calls made to his mobile line were not replied as of the time (8.30pm) of filling this report.

But a senior official of the Service told one of our correspondents in confidence that the issue had yet to be brought to the attention of the agency.

The official said since the matter was a diplomatic issue, there were protocols that must be adhered to before the customs could step in.

The official said, “As we speak now, the matter hasn’t been drawn to our attention. This is a diplomatic matter that has to be treated with caution in order to avoid diplomatic row between both countries.

“The identity of the person in question has not been established and it is the Nigerian embassy in Niger that would verify that.

“After that is done, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be notified before other security agencies would be invited on the matter.

“So, it is not something that the Customs will jump into and start investigating because the Customs in Niger don’t report directly to us in Nigeria.”

http://www.punchng.com/news/nigerian-arrested-with-n1bn-cash-in-niger-%E2%80%A2-nigerien-customs-reject-nigerias-request-for-seized-cash/

When I see people saying the problem with Nigeria is its leaders, I laugh hard; I use to harbour that thought, till I came of age to realise, the problem of the country are it's people; everybody sees their service in government as an opportunity to loot it dry (with the popular mantra "Government property no be my papa own" , and show superiority to others less fortunate ; this is reflected in the attitude of our security agents ; that can kill for defaulting in your N100 pledge, the directors in various government parastatals that U must give them very good percentages, before ur contract is approved, not minding whether the Job is done or not.

A country where someone that served in government and still lives a modest live, is treated with scorn and disdain, he is abused and called a disgrace, for not enriching himself, while the ones that steal billions and is probed by antigraft agencies, is hailed to the high heavens and has so many "loyal boiz" that can die for him.. he is adorned... and u all expect the country to thrive?

Look; The leaders are only a reflection of Us ; We re our own problem , we re all depleted in morals and values, we no longer know what the right things are...

Poverty everywhere, all our young boiz, are turning to touts, our young girls turning to prostitutes (especially students) and we don't even know; it is a pitty... the country is all heading for doom... I stand behind buhari and pray he achieves his magical Nigeria



For car owners, pls check my signature, save cost, and save ur cars.

Is that the new way politicians do their money laundering?

All of that money??!!??

I just wonder....what for?

hian??

Looterocrat.

How did he get a hold of such an amount

Yungwizzzy:
Is that the new way politicians do their money laundering?

E don tey!
This one is just unlucky this time.

Pinshure or.......

What was he doing with that amount of money . .... Niger wan chop our money.... We disagree, they must be probed too

:

The fear of Buhari's body language is the beginning of fleeing to Niger enroute Dubai...

What's the moniker?

lol

dis z d end of CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA. d year BUHARI was sworn in, and I think its dis yr

Stealing is a function of illiteracy, it doesn't matter if you attended any school.

that's Dasuki (Ex NSA)loot.Nah so those goats carted our money to SA unda the guise of buying 'dane guns'.The thieves run when No one pursue dem.Thank God,we kicked Jona outa the govt.

No name? Bad market.

Nigerians....

Making headline with all the wrong reasons!

Everyday!!

THIS ONE NA PARBOILED LIES

[size=18pt]N1 billion CASH![/size]

It could be he is a business man and due to the new CBN policy he has to transact through Niger.....

b

The wailers and their looters are now trying to run away with our stolen loot after PMB anti corruption crusade has heated hard on them. Wailers we hail thee oooo.

www.nairaland.com/attachments/2739269_clvrh3ow8aawwho_jpegb9410a887cc29efdba8c24c0caffdad6

obinnajr:
THIS ONE NA PARBOILED LIES

God bless u

Hmmmm..... this country don tire me. Why are we just like this? Everyone just for himself. I am sure if this person has been caught here in the country some people would have termed it witch hunting and possibly tribalising it as usual. May God have mercy on us. I doubt if we are actually ready to progress in this Nation.

This could be an innocent business man travelling on a business trip with his hard earned money due to Buhari's obnoxious foreign exchange policy that is slowly killing business.

That's a lot of money. . Should be properly investigated tho

slap1:
No name? Bad market.

u dy find talk