The suspect, identified as Adam Musa Adam, a Nigerian passport holder arriving from New Delhi aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET941, was intercepted on Sunday during routine screening by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service
By Moses Okorie
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation into a passenger arrested with $265,000 in undeclared foreign currency at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano State.
The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to Oyewale, the suspect, identified as Adam Musa Adam, a Nigerian passport holder arriving from New Delhi aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET941, was intercepted on Sunday during routine screening by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
He said the suspect’s luggage was subjected to secondary examination after being flagged through the use of Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology.
The search, he added, led to the discovery of the undeclared $265,000 concealed among the passenger’s personal belongings.
Oyewale said the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Usman Adamu, subsequently handed the suspect and the recovered cash over to the EFCC for investigation.
Adamu explained that moving foreign currency above the approved threshold without declaration violates Sections 3 and 4 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, as well as relevant provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
He further disclosed that, from January to date, the command had intercepted undeclared foreign currency and other negotiable instruments with a combined value of more than N2.5 billion.
Receiving the suspect on behalf of the EFCC, the Acting Kano Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday Ebelo, described the handover as a demonstration of effective inter-agency collaboration.
Ebelo said the EFCC would carry out its mandate by thoroughly investigating the case and, where necessary, prosecuting the suspect to its logical conclusion.
He said institutions such as the EFCC and Customs have a critical role to play in protecting the nation’s economy from illicit financial flows.
Ebelo expressed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, for fostering an environment conducive to inter-agency cooperation.
He also commended Adamu and his officers for their vigilance and commitment to enforcing laws regulating the cross-border movement of foreign currency.