The Murtala Muhammed International Airport command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says its officers intercepted fake $1.2 million notes, 148 drones, and five cryptocurrency machines in Lagos.

Speaking on Thursday during the hand over of the seized items to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Charles Orbih, customs area commander, said the items were confiscated between January and April.

Orbih said the intercepted items were handed over to the appropriate authorities in Lagos as directed by Bashir Adeniyi, comptroller-general of customs.

“The command also handed over 148 pieces of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) also known as drones, 112 military hardware and accessories, two bulletproof helmets and two military vests to the 81 division of the Nigerian Army in Lagos,” NAN quoted Orbih as saying.

“The counterfeited foreign currencies were handed over to the EFCC’s assistant commander, Oguzi Moses.

“Also, the UAVs and other military hardware were handed over to the General Officer commanding (GOC), 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Major General Muhammad Usman.”

He said the importers of the UAVs were unable to present an end-user certificate (EUC) from the office of the national security adviser (ONSA).

“Virtually all the drones were abandoned, while drones above 250 grams are to come with EUCs and whenever we ask for the certificate, they abandon the UAVs,” he added.

The area commander said the NCS generated N19 billion in revenue between January and April this year, adding that there was a 67 percent increase in collection when juxtaposed with 2023.

“In line with the NCS mandate of revenue collection, revenue generation, suppression of smuggling, trade facilitation and national security, the officers and men of the command under my watch remained resolute and dedicated in ensuring the blockage of revenue leakages,” he added.

“The command also ensured facilitation of legitimate trade through a combined effort, in compliance with the policy thrust of the comptroller-general of customs.

“The command generated N19 billion between January and April 2024. This represents 42 percent collection of the annual revenue target given to the command for the year 2024 and 67 percent increase in collection against the preceding year of 2023.

“In our continued effort to block revenue leakages, the command made some seizures and detention of the following items — precious stones such as zinc, lithium, copper stones/sand, 120 pieces of SIM cards.

“The command seized four drones with a duty paid value of N7.8 million; one wooden giraffe statue and five bulletproof jackets with a DPV of N1.25 million.”

Musiliu Badejo, a Nigerian vendor living in the United Kingdom, has been convicted of selling harmful skin-lightening products via eBay, the e-commerce platform.

A four-year investigation by Southwark council’s Trading Standards team showed that most of Badejo’s products had toxic ingredients in them.

Trading Standards in the UK are local authority departments responsible for enforcing consumer protection legislation.

They investigate commercial organisations that trade outside the law or engage in unethical practices, aiming to remedy breaches through advice or legal actions.

In October 2022, Trading Standards raided Badejo’s flat and found 1,700 cosmetic products.

The 56-year-old was out of the country at the time.

According to the regulatory agency, sampling and analysis confirmed many of the seized products contained banned hydroquinone and corticosteroids, which were not included in the ingredients labelling.

Two of his eBay accounts were suspended by the e-commerce platform after he flouted a warning from Trading Standards asking him to stop selling any more illegal cosmetics.

On April 29, a London court heard that between March 2020 and January 2023, Badejo had used multiple eBay accounts to sell over 20,000 cosmetic products to UK customers.

Badejo was said to have sold over 20,000 bottles. The combined sales value was some £340,000.

The entrepreneur said he imported most of the products from Ghana, Nigeria, and Thailand.

An analysis of five of out seven of the vendor’s products contained either hydroquinone or corticosteroids.

One product called “Pure White dark spot corrector serum” contained both but did not list them as ingredients.

Trading Standards said the serum contained 10 percent hydroquinone — five times the permitted limit.

Badejo, whose goods were valued at over a quarter of a million pounds, received a six-week prison sentence suspended for 15 months and was ordered to pay £4,750 in fines.

Skin bleaching is not a new beauty phenomenon with many seeking to lighten their skin for different purposes.

However, medical practitioners have labelled the practice a public health concern, linking it to a range of adverse effects, from skin diseases to serious systemic problems such as diabetes, hypertension, and renal diseases.

The high court in Anambra has sentenced Nwachukwu Placidus, a former First City Monument Bank (FCMB) branch manager, to 121 years imprisonment.

The ex-banker was jailed on Friday for diverting a customer’s funds estimated at over N112 million for his personal use.

The Enugu zonal command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Placidus in March 2018 on a 16-count charge bordering on forgery, stealing and obtaining by false pretence.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.

“Nwachukwu Placidus between February 2009 and November 2014 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of the Anambra State High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of (N112,100,000) One Hundred and Twelve Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira only, from Idemili Microfinance Bank under the false pretence that you have placed the said money in a fixed deposit account with First City Monument Bank PLC for it, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence,” one of the charges read.

The EFCC presented four witnesses and tendered several relevant documents which were admitted in evidence.

Idemili Microfinance Bank LTD, the complainant, alleged that Placidus was handed the funds as the branch manager of FCMB in Onitsha, for a fixed deposit.

However, the microfinance bank said the FCMB branch in Onitsha denied receiving the funds when it was time for withdrawal.

Delivering the judgement, S. N. Odili, the presiding judge, held that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt” and sentenced the convict to nine years imprisonment on count three, four years on count four and nine years on counts five to 16 respectively.

The judge ordered Placidus to refund the N121 million fraudulently obtained from Idemili Microfinance Bank.

He was discharged on counts one and two. The sentences shall run concurrently.