Court Sentences Man to Four Years for ₦16 Million Money Laundering, Forfeits G-Wagon

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has sentenced Sunmonu Olasunkanmi Thaoban to four years in prison for laundering ₦16 million by disguising its illegal origins and converting it into a 2018 black G-Wagon Jeep.

Key Details of the Case

• Guilty Plea & Sentencing: Justice Akintayo Aluko handed down the sentence on Thursday after Thaoban pleaded guilty to a two-count EFCC charge, alongside an alternative fine option of ₦1.8 million.

• The Offense: Prosecutors stated that Thaoban acted as a middleman in 2023, funneling illicit funds to purchase the luxury vehicle, violating the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

• Asset Forfeiture: In addition to the prison term, the judge ordered the permanent forfeiture of both the convict’s G-Wagon and mobile phone to the Federal Government.

Related BDC Convictions

In a separate proceeding, Justice Aluko also convicted four Bureau de Change (BDC) operators—Umar Muhammad Lamido, Yusuf Musa Yusuf, Abdulmuhimin Mahmud, and Muhammed Musa—for conducting unauthorized foreign exchange transactions outside the official market. Following their guilty pleas, each received a 12-month prison sentence with an option of a ₦100,000 fine.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s controversial proposal to sell commercial stakes in the World Cup has hit a severe wall after senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigned, slamming the initiative as “a bad deal” that would “mortgage football’s future.”

Key Developments

• High-Level Resignation: Cordeiro, the former U.S. Soccer Federation president, stepped down immediately after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) joined UEFA and Concacaf in formally opposing the plan.

• Overwhelming Opposition: Three of football’s most powerful confederations are now locked in unity against Infantino’s proposal, jeopardizing its path to approval.

• The Numbers Against the Deal:

  • UEFA: 55 member associations

  • AFC: 46 member associations

  • Concacaf: 35 member associations

  • Total Combined Opposition: 136 votes, well past the 106 simple majority needed to block the plan out of FIFA’s 211 total member associations.

What the Opposition is Saying

• Carlos Cordeiro: Denounced the strategy in his resignation, stating it serves neither FIFA’s member associations nor the long-term health of the sport.

• The Asian Football Confederation (AFC): Declared solidarity with Europe and the Americas, noting that the plan lacks the broad consensus required and explicitly warned against any move that risks “undermining the unity and universal character of the competition.”

FIFA’s Response

Despite the cascading backlash and the numbers heavily favoring the opposition, FIFA leadership has pushed back against the criticism, announcing that it intends to press forward with stakeholder consultations regarding the investment plan.