EFCC Begins Probe as Customs Intercepts $73,000, £15,957, 827,800 Saudi Riyals at Kano Airport

EFCC Begins Probe as Customs Intercepts $73,000, £15,957, 827,800 Saudi Riyals at Kano Airport
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigations into Haruna Yusuf following the interception of multiple undeclared foreign currencies at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.
The Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC received Yusuf and the recovered currencies from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) following two separate interceptions carried out at the airport between August 8 and August 12, 2026.
The currencies intercepted were $73,000, £15,957 and 827,800 Saudi Riyals.
The handover was conducted by the Acting Customs Area Comptroller of the Kano/Jigawa Command, Deputy Comptroller U.U. Adamu, at the Customs Area Command in Kano.
Receiving the suspect and exhibits on behalf of the EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, was the Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC, Kano Directorate, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday S. Ebelo.
According to the NCS, the first interception occurred on August 8, 2026, at about 2:20 p.m., when officers conducting passenger screening at MAKIA discovered an unaccompanied Saudi Air luggage containing 827,800 Saudi Riyals and $53,300.
The currencies were reportedly concealed inside footwear.
A second interception took place on August 12, 2026, at about 1:50 p.m., when Customs officers flagged a luggage belonging to Yusuf, who arrived at the airport aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET941.
During secondary screening using Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology, officers discovered $20,000 and £15,957 concealed inside sportswear shoes.
Adamu formally handed over Yusuf and all recovered exhibits to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.
He explained that the action was carried out pursuant to Section 4(f) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which empowers the Service to collaborate with other border regulatory agencies.
The Customs official said the interceptions demonstrated the vigilance of officers in detecting the cross-border movement of undeclared foreign currencies above the permitted threshold.
He added that the Command would continue to deploy technology, professional expertise and intelligence-driven measures, alongside inter-agency collaboration, to strengthen border controls and protect Nigeria’s financial system.
Receiving the exhibits, Ebelo commended the Customs Service for its professionalism and cooperation with EFCC personnel recently deployed to the airport.
He stressed the need for continued vigilance at Nigeria’s entry points to prevent the illegal movement of currency.
According to him, failure to declare large sums of currency or its equivalent constitutes a violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Ebelo urged members of the public to comply with the law, stressing that declaring currency does not attract a penalty, while the source of undeclared funds could raise legal concerns.
He said: “You must declare the currency you are carrying. If you declare it, nobody will seize your currency.”
The EFCC assured that it would conduct a thorough investigation and prosecute the matter in accordance with the law.
Both the EFCC and NCS reaffirmed their commitment to sustaining their collaboration in the fight against financial crimes and the illegal movement of cash across Nigeria’s borders.