Nigerian attempts to externalise dollars at KIA

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Egemonye Christian Chinedu

Police at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) on Monday arrested a 43-year-old Nigerian national for attempting to externalise US$7,000 (about MK5 million) which was hidden in his hand luggage.

KIA police spokesperson Sapulain Chitonde Lee has identified the man as Egemonye Christian Chinedu, a holder of a Nigerian Passport number A05010761.

Chinedu was apprehended inside the Departures Lounge at the airport in Lilongwe as he was waiting to board a Nigeria-bound Kenyan Airways flight.

According to Chitonde, the suspect was physically searched by Police officers manning the checkpoint and the said US$7,000) was found.

However when he was asked to show supporting documents, he failed to provide evidence from authorised Forex dealers.

“In his defence, Christian said he got the money in Tete Mozambique where he operates a clothing shop. He claimed that unspecified officers at the border (Mozambique, Malawi) told him not to worry about the cash. He said the advice made him to overlook the paperwork process because it implied that there would be no problem to travel out with the money,” Chitonde told Malawi24.

Currently, the suspect is in Police custody and is expected to appear in court to answer charges of illegal possession of foreign currency and attempting to externalise forex.

Egemonye Chinedu Christian comes from Nnewi in Lagos, Nigeria. But he has lived in Tete, Mozambique, for the past three years.