Customs intercepts $73,000, £15,957, 827,800 Riyals, EFCC launches probe

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigations into Haruna Yusuf after the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted multiple undeclared foreign currencies valued at $73,000, £15,957 and 827,800 Saudi Riyals at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).

The suspect and the recovered currencies were handed over to the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC by the Acting Customs Area Comptroller of the Kano/Jigawa Command, Deputy Comptroller U. U. Adamu, at the Customs Area Command in Kano.

The interceptions were made during routine primary and secondary screening of arriving passengers between August 8 and August 12, 2026, with the foreign currencies found concealed in personal effects.

According to Adamu, the first interception occurred on August 8, 2026, at about 2:20 p.m., when Customs officers screening baggage at MAKIA found an unaccompanied Saudi Air luggage containing 827,800 Saudi Riyals and $53,300 concealed inside footwear.

A second interception was made on August 12, when officers flagged luggage belonging to Yusuf, who arrived at the airport on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET941.

During secondary screening using Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology, officers discovered $20,000 and £15,957 concealed inside sportswear shoes, Adamu said.

The two interceptions brought the total foreign currencies recovered to $73,000, £15,957 and 827,800 Saudi Riyals.

Adamu formally handed over Yusuf and the recovered exhibits to the EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution, citing Section 4(f) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which empowers the service to collaborate with other border regulatory agencies.

He said the interceptions demonstrated the vigilance of Customs officers in detecting attempts to move undeclared foreign currency across Nigeria’s borders.

“The Command will continue to deploy technology, professional expertise, and intelligence-driven measures, including inter-agency collaboration to strengthen border controls and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s financial systems,” Adamu said.

Receiving the suspect and exhibits on behalf of the EFCC Executive Chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, the Acting Zonal Director of the Kano Directorate, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday S. Ebelo, commended the Customs Service for its cooperation with EFCC officers recently deployed to the airport.

Ebelo said the movement of large sums of undeclared currency across the country’s entry points required sustained vigilance by relevant agencies.

“We must sustain this vigilance at all our entry points to counter the illegal movement of currency. The failure to declare large sums of currency and its equivalent is a violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022,” he said.

He urged travellers to comply with the law by declaring the cash they carry across Nigeria’s borders, stressing that declaration itself does not attract a penalty.

“Once more, we call on the general public: as much as we are Nigerians and we encourage trade in and out of the country, people must adhere to the laws of the land. You must declare the currency you are carrying. If you declare it, nobody will seize your currency,” Ebelo said.

The EFCC official reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to conducting a thorough investigation and pursuing prosecution where the evidence supports it.

Both agencies also emphasised the importance of their longstanding cooperation in tackling financial crimes, undeclared cash movements and other illicit financial activities at Nigeria’s borders.