Court Fixes Oct. 14, For Trial Of Woman Arrested For Undeclared Foreign Currencies
Justice Deinde Dipeolu of a Federal High Court, Lagos, has adjourned further trial of Dr. Ifunanya Phil-Olumba, who was arrested for alleged false Foreign Currency declaration, to October 14, 2025.
Justice Dipeolu fixed the date, after admitting the defendant to bail on Tuesday.
The defendant was arrested by the operatives of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), on her way to the United Kingdom (UK), in July 22, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, over failure to declare some foreign currencies in her possession.
Upon her arrest, she was handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which charged her before the court on a four count-charge of non-declaration of currencies.
Specifically, the EFCC charged her before the court on August 14, where she was arraigned for falsely declared the sum of $4,000 while in possession of $14,567; failed to declare CA$40; and falsely declared £1,000 while in possession of £1,030.
The offences which the prosecutor, Chinneye C. Okezie, contravened section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
She had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Based on her plea, the court ordered accelerated hearing of the charge, while ordered that the defendant be remanded at the kirikiri female section of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) Lagos, pending conclusion of the matter.
The EFCC had called two witnesses, who are; Mrs. Stella Ogar, a Custom officer, who arrested the defendant and Felicia Paul, an investigator with the EFCC who confirmed that the defendant was handed over to her commission by the Customs.
However, midway to her trial, she contested the admissibility of her confessional statement, which she claimed was taken from her without the presence of her lawyer.
The situation which compelled the court to call for Trial-Within-Trial (TWT) of the matter and ruling on her bail application.
Meanwhile, at the resumed hearing of the matter today, Justice Dipeolu was only able to decide of the defendant’s bail application.
Ruling on the bail application, the presiding judge admitted bail to the defendant in the sum of N15 million with two sureties in like sum.
Justice Dipeolu also ordered that one of the sureties must be a Civil Servant not below Grade Level 15. While also ordered the defendant to deposit her travel documents with the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR) and among others.
Justice while adjourned the matter to October 14, 2024, for further hearing, ordered that both the prosecutor and the court’s registrar to jointly verify the bail conditions.