The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) has intercepted a passenger carrying $265,000 in undeclared foreign currency and handed him and the cash over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation and prosecution.
The suspect, identified as Adam Musa Adam, a Nigerian passport holder, arrived at the airport on Sunday aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET941 from New Delhi, India. Customs officials said the suspect was intercepted during routine border security screening after his luggage was selected for secondary examination.
The scan revealed the foreign currency concealed among his personal effects. Speaking at the handover ceremony, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Usman Umar Adamu, said carrying foreign currency above the prescribed legal limit without declaring it violated the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Adamu said the MAKIA Customs Command had intensified its efforts against illicit financial flows, revealing that between January and September 2026, it had seized undeclared foreign currencies and negotiable monetary instruments worth more than N2.5 billion. He said the transfer of the case to the EFCC was in line with Section 4(f) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Receiving the suspect and exhibits on behalf of the EFCC, the Kano Acting Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE1), Friday Ebelo, assured the public that the commission would conduct a thorough investigation and prosecute the case as appropriate.
“The EFCC will conduct and carry out its established mandate by further investigating and prosecuting this case to its logical conclusion,” he said.