The Supreme Court of Nigeria has upheld the forfeiture of $40,000 to the Federal Government in a case involving Aminu Sule Lamido, son of former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido.

Aminu Lamido was stopped on December 11, 2012, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while preparing to travel to Cairo. He declared only $10,000 to customs officials, but a search revealed he was carrying a total of $50,000 in cash.

He was charged with making a false declaration under the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act and related laws. In July 2015, the Federal High Court in Kano found him guilty and ordered that part of the undeclared money be forfeited to the Federal Government. The Court of Appeal in Kaduna later upheld the decision.

Aminu Lamido took the case to the Supreme Court, but the court dismissed his appeal. The five justices agreed that the lower courts handled the case properly and that the evidence supported the conviction. The Supreme Court therefore confirmed that $40,000 should be forfeited to the government.

The ruling shows that anyone who fails to properly declare foreign currency can lose the money, no matter who they are related to. It also highlights the importance of obeying Nigeria’s currency declaration and anti-money laundering laws.