The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced investigation into a passenger arrested with $265,000 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State.
The suspect, identified as Adam Musa Adam, was arrested on Sunday, September 26, 2026, after officers of the Nigeria Customs Service intercepted him during routine screening operations at the airport.
Adam, who holds a Nigerian passport, had arrived in Kano from New Delhi aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET941 when his luggage was subjected to secondary examination following a flag raised by the Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology.
The Customs officers subsequently discovered the undeclared foreign currency concealed among the suspect’s personal belongings.
The suspect and the money were later handed over to the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC for further investigation.
Speaking during the handover, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Umar Adamu, said the movement of foreign currency above the permissible threshold without declaration violated relevant provisions of Nigerian law.
According to him, the offence contravenes Sections 3 and 4 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, as well as applicable provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Adamu disclosed that the command had intercepted undeclared foreign currencies and other negotiable instruments worth more than N2.5bn since January 2026.
He said the latest handover was carried out pursuant to Section 4(f) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
Receiving the suspect and the exhibits on behalf of the EFCC, the Acting Zonal Director of the Kano office, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday S. Ebelo, described the development as an example of effective cooperation between government agencies.
Ebelo said the collaboration between Customs and the EFCC was necessary to protect Nigeria’s financial system and combat illicit financial flows.
“The EFCC will conduct and carry out its established mandate by further investigating and prosecuting this case to its logical conclusion.”
He added, “In the life of a people, there comes a time that certain institutions become the beacon of hope by safeguarding our economy against illicit financial flows.”
The EFCC official commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its role in detecting the undeclared currency and facilitating the transfer of the suspect and exhibits to the Commission.
He particularly appreciated the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for what he described as an enabling environment for sustained inter-agency cooperation.
“Let me, on behalf of my boss, Mr Ola Olukoyede, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, thank the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for the sustained partnership,” Ebelo said.
He also praised Adamu and other Customs officers involved in the interception for their vigilance and commitment to enforcing regulations governing the cross-border movement of foreign currency.
The EFCC is expected to investigate the source and intended use of the $265,000 and determine whether the circumstances surrounding its movement constitute violations of Nigeria’s financial laws.
