EFCC BEGINS PROBE OF $420,900 CASH SMUGGLING SUSPECT ARRESTED AT KANO AIRPORT
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched a comprehensive investigation into a foiled attempt to smuggle large sums of undeclared foreign currencies through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport by a suspect identified as Ahmad Salisu.
Salisu was intercepted on Monday, July 7, 2025, by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) during a routine luggage inspection. Hidden beneath layers of clothing in his suitcase, officials discovered a staggering sum of $420,900, £5,825, CFA3,946,500, and Cameroonian CFA224,000, all wrapped in a polythene bag.
Upon arrest, Salisu allegedly confessed that he was acting on behalf of his brother, Auwal Ahmad, currently residing in Saudi Arabia. He claimed he was instructed to deliver the cash to Yusuf Adamu and Abdulhamid Rabiu, who were subsequently arrested at the airport when they arrived to collect the money.
In a statement released on Tuesday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, it was confirmed that the three suspects and the seized currencies were officially handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution.
During a joint press briefing at the NCS Kano/Jigawa Area Command, Commander Ibrahim Shazali, EFCC Zonal Director in Kano, underscored the agency’s unwavering stance against financial crimes and illegal cross-border cash movement.
“The EFCC and the Nigerian Customs Service, working in concert, have zero tolerance for illegal cash smuggling. Our surveillance is active, our intelligence is sharp, and our resolve to apprehend offenders is unwavering,” Shazali said.
He urged aviation and financial sector personnel to be alert and report any suspicious movement involving large sums of cash.
Comptroller Dalhatu Abubakar of the NCS Kano/Jigawa Area Command also stressed the importance of strict currency declaration protocols in safeguarding Nigeria’s financial ecosystem. He described such enforcement as vital in preventing money laundering, terrorism financing, and organized criminal activities.
The EFCC has stated that formal charges will be filed against the suspects upon the conclusion of ongoing investigations, reinforcing the government’s clampdown on illicit financial flows and border-related crimes.
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