The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted foreign currencies valued at over ₦653.9 million at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), foiling an attempt to smuggle undeclared cash into the country.
The seizure, announced during a press briefing on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, at the Customs House in Bompai, Kano, also led to the arrest of three suspects, who were subsequently handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Addressing journalists, Comptroller Dalhatu Abubakar, Customs Area Controller for Kano/Jigawa Area Command, described the operation as a significant milestone in combating illicit financial flows, money laundering, and smuggling networks.
Abubakar explained that the arrest followed credible intelligence and heightened scrutiny by Customs officers, who flagged Ahmed Salisu, a Ghanaian passport holder, upon his arrival from Saudi Arabia on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
“Upon arrival, passengers were reminded of the legal requirement to declare any foreign currency exceeding $10,000. The suspect declined to declare any funds,” Abubakar said. “However, acting on credible intelligence, our officers subjected his baggage to further examination, leading to the discovery of foreign currencies concealed inside cartons of clothing.”
The search uncovered $420,900 in U.S. dollars, £5,825 in British pounds, 3,946,500 West African CFA francs, and 224,000 Central African CFA francs, with a combined value exceeding ₦653.9 million.
Abubakar hailed the seizure as evidence of the NCS’s commitment to national security and its close collaboration with agencies like the EFCC and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“This arrest is the result of proactive enforcement, stakeholder sensitization, and intensified border surveillance. Our aim is not only to detect but also to deter such criminal activities. Let this serve as a clear message to criminal networks: we are watching, and we will act,” he warned.
He further disclosed that the interception aligns with efforts initiated earlier this year by Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, to educate stakeholders about currency declaration laws. The Command, he noted, has been conducting sensitization campaigns across Kano and Jigawa, targeting Bureau de Change operators, travel agencies, airline operators, and pilgrim boards.
Speaking on behalf of the EFCC, the Zonal Director of the Commission’s Kano office commended the collaboration between the two agencies and vowed that the EFCC would pursue the case diligently.
“On behalf of the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, we appreciate the Nigeria Customs Service for its vigilance and cooperation. This case goes beyond the money involved—it concerns national security. Cash smuggling has been a financial lifeline for terrorism, banditry, and transnational crimes,” the EFCC official said.
He emphasised that the seizure was made in accordance with the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which mandate the declaration of foreign currency exceeding $10,000 at Nigeria’s borders.
The EFCC official also urged stakeholders in the aviation and financial sectors to remain vigilant and continue sharing intelligence to prevent future incidents of financial crimes.