A businessman, Okorie Sunday, who was arrested on March 19, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, with $578,000 in cash suddenly collapsed in court during his trial on Wednesday morning.
Okorie was brought to the Federal High Court, Lagos for his trial which commenced at 8.30am.
He was called into the dock for the charge to be re-read to him but collapsed just as the court registrar was about to read the counts.
A day before, on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned him at the same court on four counts of alleged money laundering and currency scam before Justice Deinde Dipeolu.
He pleaded not guilty.
Following the agreement of parties for a short date and an accelerated trial, the court remanded him in custody and subsequently adjourned until Wednesday for his trial.
At the resumption of proceedings on Wednesday morning, the defendant was called to the dock. His counsel, Uche Okoronkwo, informed the court that his client would like to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.
Okoronkwo asked the court to allow the charge to be read to Okorie again.
Counsel for the EFCC, Chineye Okezie, confirmed to the court that Okorie had indeed decided to plead guilty.
Okezie said, “In view of the defendant’s wish to change his plea from not guilty to guilty on counts one and two, the commission would like to withdraw counts three and four.”
Justice Dipeolu agreed and ordered counts three and four to be withdrawn. He then asked the court registrar to read counts one and two to the defendant.
As the registrar was about to read the counts, he asked the defendant if he understood English. Okorie did not respond but suddenly slumped and collapsed in the dock.
His wife and daughter, who were in the courtroom, started crying.
As of the time of this report, the defendant has been rushed to the hospital while the matter has been stood down.
It would be recalled that the Nigerian Customs Service had intercepted the suspect who arrived in Lagos from Johannesburg aboard South African Airways Flight SA60 on March 19, 2025. At the airport’s currency declaration desk, he declared only $279,000.
However, a routine search uncovered an additional $299,000 hidden in several packages, bringing the total amount to $578,000.
The customs authorities also said they recovered €100 and a counterfeit $250 note among the undeclared cash.
According to the EFFC, the offences violated Sections 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and Sections 3(1)(a), 5(1)(b), and (2) of the Counterfeit Currency (Special Provisions) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
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