KANO, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Directorate, has launched a full-scale investigation into two men caught attempting to smuggle a combined sum of $461,600 in undeclared foreign currency through the airport.
Okay News reports that the suspects, identified as Jamilu Shuaibu Waya and Usman Namadi, were intercepted at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport by men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kano/Jigawa Area Command. The duo had just arrived on Friday, May 8, 2026, aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight (ET941) originating from Dubai.
According to structural briefs from the security agencies, the travelers initially approached the currency declaration desk and stated they were carrying $130,000 and $180,000 respectively. However, suspicious indicators during non-intrusive baggage profiling prompted Customs officers to conduct a rigorous physical examination. The search uncovered an additional hidden $120,000 on Waya (bringing his actual total to $250,000) and an extra $31,600 on Namadi (bringing his total to $211,600). The failure to transparently account for the cash violates Sections 3 and 4 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, which mandates an honest declaration for any moving funds exceeding $10,000.
The suspects and the recovered cash exhibits were formally handed over at the Customs Command headquarters in Bompai, Kano, by the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller UU Adamu, to the Zonal Director of the EFCC, Assistant Commander Friday S. Ebelo. Receiving the exhibits, Ebelo praised the robust inter-agency collaboration between Customs and the anti-graft agency, vowing that the commission will conduct an uncompromising investigation and ensure the violators face the full weight of legal prosecution to deter illegal cross-border cash movements.
