The Kaduna zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has said that it intercepted the sum of N49 million at the Kaduna International Airport, on Monday.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said the money was concealed in five large black sacks during a routine baggage screening.

According to him, operatives of the commission sighted the bags unattended and without tags containing fresh bulk items suspected to be money.

“Upon examination by some operatives of the Commission, the bags were found to contain fresh crispy naira notes of N200 denomination in 20 bundles totaling N40 million and N50 denomination in 180 bundles totaling N9 million with seal purportedly emanating from the Nigeria Security and Minting Plc (NSPM) as seen in the labeled sealed packs,” Uwajuren stated.

He added that investigation into the case is ongoing to unravel the people behind the attempted illegal movement of the cash.

The EFCC spokesman also said that the commission has arraigned three suspected fraudsters before Justice O. A. Taiwo of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence amount to the tune of $10, 000.00.

He gave the names of the accused persons as Emmanuel Onubogu, Onyeka Godday and Mamudu Musa who were charged alongside their company, Zirconafrik Limited.

The defendants allegedly approached one Adewale Olaiya, requesting the sum of $10, 000, which they said they needed  as “authentication fee” for one million barrels of crude oil purportedly allocated to them by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

But the EFCC said that the trio became elusive after receiving the money from the complainant.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to them.

In view of their plea, counsel to EFCC, M. S. Usman, asked the court for a trial date while urging that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.

However, counsels to the defendants, pleaded with the court to grant their clients bail.

The prosecuting counsel did not oppose the applications. Consequently, Justice Taiwo adjourned to March 22, 2017 for hearing on bail applications and ordered the defendants to be remanded in the EFCC custody.