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 before the Federal High Court in Lagos for his trial, which began at 8:30 a.m.
As he was called to the dock for the charges to be re-read to him, he collapsed just as the court registrar was about to read the charges.
The previous day, Tuesday, March 25, 2025, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned him in the same court on four counts of alleged money laundering and currency fraud before Justice Deinde Dipeolu. He pleaded not guilty.
After both parties agreed on a short date and accelerated trial, the court remanded him in custody and adjourned the case until Wednesday for his trial.
At the start of proceedings on Wednesday morning, the defendant was called to the dock. His counsel, Uche Okoronkwo, informed the court that Okorie wished to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.
Okoronkwo requested that the charge be read to Okorie again.
EFCC counsel, Chineye Okezie, confirmed that Okorie had decided to plead guilty.
Okezie stated, “Given the defendant’s decision to change his plea to guilty on counts one and two, the commission wishes to withdraw counts three and four.”
Justice Dipeolu agreed and ordered the withdrawal of counts three and four. He then instructed the court registrar to read counts one and two to the defendant.
As the registrar began to read the charges, he asked Okorie if he understood English. However, Okorie did not respond and suddenly collapsed in the dock.
His wife and daughter, present in the courtroom, began to cry.
At the time of this report, Okorie had been rushed to the hospital, and the proceedings were temporarily paused.
It was previously reported that Okorie was intercepted by the Nigerian Customs Service upon arriving in Lagos from Johannesburg on South African Airways Flight SA60 on March 19, 2025. At the currency declaration desk, he declared only $279,000.
However, a routine search revealed an additional $299,000 hidden in several packages, bringing the total amount to $578,000. Customs authorities also found €100 and a counterfeit $250 note among the undeclared cash.
According to the EFCC, these actions 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.
