The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, on Friday, January 9, 2026, arraigned one Kavlak Onal, an Austrian, before Justice Yelim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria, for failing to declare the sums of $800,575 and €651,505.
Onal was scheduled to travel on Emirates Airline to Dubai when he was intercepted by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) during a routine check at the AML/ CFT Currency Declaration Desk on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.
He was arraigned on Friday, January 9, on a two-count charge bordering on money laundering.
Count one of the charges reads: That you, Mr. Kavlak Onal, on December 13th, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $800,575 (Eight Hundred Thousand, Five Hundred and Seventy Five United States Dollars) to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3 (5) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition and Prevention ) Act, 2022.”
Count two reads: “That you, Mr Kavlak Onal, on the 13th December, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of €651,505(Six Hundred and Fifty One Thousand, Five Hundred and Five Euro) to the Nigeria Customs Service at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 3 (5) of the Money Laundering ( Prohibition and Prevention ) Act, 2022.”
Onal pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
Prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Bala Buhari, asked the court for a trial date to enable the prosecution to prove its case and for the defendant to be remanded at a Correctional Centre.
In his response, defence counsel Stanley Imhanruor informed the court of a bail application on behalf of his client.
Justice Bogoro, therefore, adjourned the case until January 16, 2026, for the hearing of the bail application.
