A suspect identified as Haruna Yusuf was nabbed at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport after allegedly attempting to move undeclared foreign currencies worth millions of naira.
According to the Nigerian Customs Service, the currencies — $73,300, £15,957 and 827,800 Saudi riyals — were intercepted during passenger screening at the airport between August 8 and 12, 2026.
The Nigerian Customs Service said that its officers on August 8, discovered 827,800 Saudi riyals and $53,300 concealed inside footwear found in an unaccompanied Saudi Air luggage during screening.
The agency also added that the currencies were concealed inside footwear and sportswear shoes in two separate incidents.
Five days later, on August 12, officers flagged a piece of luggage belonging to Yusuf, who arrived on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET941.
According to Customs, a secondary search using Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology uncovered $20,000 and £15,957 concealed inside sportswear shoes.
The suspect and the recovered currencies were subsequently handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for investigation.
The EFCC’s Acting Zonal Director in Kano, Assistant Commander Friday S. Ebelo, said failure to declare large sums of foreign currency constituted a violation of Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.
He urged travellers carrying substantial amounts of currency to comply with declaration requirements, stressing that declaring money does not automatically lead to its seizure.
“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 said its investigation would determine the circumstances surrounding the movement of the funds and whether the suspect had violated relevant financial laws.
The Customs Area Comptroller for Kano/Jigawa Command, Deputy Comptroller U.U. Adamu, said the interceptions demonstrated the need for increased scrutiny of cross-border currency movements.
He said the Customs Service would continue working with other agencies to prevent the illegal movement of cash and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system.