A passenger, Ahmad Salisu, allegedly concealed over $420,900, £5,825, and CFA 4.1 million, in total N653 million worth of undeclared foreign currencies, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport before being arrested during a customs-led inspection, according to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and the Kano Zonal EFCC command. He arrived from Saudi Arabia via Ethiopian Airlines and failed to declare cash exceeding the $10,000 threshold required by law. Authorities say the money was hidden in cartons of clothing in his luggage.
NCS Comptroller Dalhatu Abubakar revealed that the interception came after strong intelligence cooperation between the Customs and EFCC, and that Ahmad was flagged and searched before his arrest. The sum was estimated at ₦653,987,268.50.
Investigators have launched a full EFCC-led probe into the matter, and legal proceedings are already underway. Zonal EFCC Director Ibrahim Shazali commended the NCS for the joint effort, stressing that this sends a warning to others attempting to smuggle undeclared cash out of Nigeria.
