Nigerian with 107 Citi Bank cards arrested at Lagos airport

Suspect

A 36-year old Nigerian, with two different international passports, has been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, western Nigeria, with 107 Citi Bank credit cards, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA said in a statement on Saturday.

NDLEA said it arrested Funsho Oladimeji Babatunde with the automated teller machine cards concealed inside a luggage during the outward screening of Turkish Airline passengers to Istanbul, Turkey.

The agency airport commander, Hamza Umar, said that the suspect had two international passports bearing his photographs but with different names.

“He had a Nigerian passport with the name Funsho Oladimeji Babatunde and a Turkish passport with the name Kosar Kursat both bearing his photographs,” Umar said. He said the cards found in his luggage are 68 Citi Interswitch Master cards and 39 Citi Interswitch Visa cards.

The suspect who is a native of Iwo town in Kwara State lives in Surulere Lagos.

The Ordinary National Diploma (OND) graduate at the Kwara Polytechnic was quoted as telling NDLEA officials that he was taking the cards to a friend in Turkey.

“My friend in Turkey called me that I should help in sending the cards to him in Istanbul, Turkey. When I collected the cards in Lagos, I kept them in my bag but during search, the officer saw the cards and took me for interrogation. I am an OND graduate of Economics at the Kwara Polytechnic,” he was quoted as saying.

NDLEA Chairman, Ahmadu Giade, has directed that the suspect be transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation, said Mitchell Ofoyeju, NDLEA spokesperson.

“Preliminary investigation suggests that the suspect had unlawful possession of 107 credit cards. The financial instruments are believed to be used for fraudulent purposes since he is not an authorised agent,” Ofoyeju quoted Giade as saying.
Credit Pm