A Nigerian mn with 4.6m Euros in cash has been arrested at Niamey, capital of Niger Republic police.
The Nigerian was arrested at the Diori Hamani Airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, en route Dubai in the United Arab Emirate.
According Nigerien police, 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 disclosed that that there had be a growing number of Nigerians trafficking huge sums of money in cash through the neighbouring country, adding that they were already working on the suspicion that the money traffickers have accomplices in the country.
Reports indicate that the apprehension of the Nigerian made major news headlines in the Nigerien newspapers and television stations but Nigerian authorities claimed ignorance of the money seizure in the neighbouring country.
though
However, a report said that the Customs officers in Niger were already kicking against repatriating the cash to Nigeria.
The report indicates that the National Union of Customs Officers on Saturday 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.
