The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation into the alleged illegal movement of $73,000, £15,957 and 827,800 Saudi Riyals intercepted at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano State.

The currencies, which were allegedly not declared by the persons conveying them, were intercepted by officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) during routine screening of passengers between August 8 and August 12, 2026.

The EFCC Kano Zonal Directorate commenced the investigation following the formal handover of the suspect, Haruna Yusuf, and the recovered foreign currencies by the Acting Customs Area Comptroller of the Kano/Jigawa Command, Deputy Comptroller U.U. Adamu.

Receiving the suspect and exhibits on behalf of the EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, was the Acting Zonal Director of the Kano Directorate, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday S. Ebelo.

According to Adamu, Customs made two separate interceptions at the airport within the period under review.

He said that on August 8, 2026, at about 2:20pm, officers conducting passenger screening at MAKIA intercepted an unaccompanied Saudi Air luggage containing 827,800 Saudi Riyals and $53,300.

“The currencies were found concealed inside a footwear,” Adamu stated.

He added that on August 12, 2026, at about 1:50pm, Customs officers flagged a luggage belonging to Yusuf, who arrived at the airport aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET941.

During secondary screening with Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology, officers discovered $20,000 and £15,957 concealed inside sportswear shoes, according to the Customs official.

Adamu subsequently handed over Yusuf and all the recovered exhibits to the EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution.

He said the action was in line with Section 4(f) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which empowers the Service to collaborate with other border regulatory agencies.

The Customs official described the interceptions as evidence of the vigilance of officers in detecting the cross-border movement of undeclared foreign currencies above the permissible threshold.

He said the command would continue to deploy technology, professional expertise and intelligence-driven measures, alongside inter-agency collaboration, to strengthen border controls and safeguard Nigeria’s financial system.

Receiving the exhibits, Ebelo commended the Customs Service for its professionalism and cooperation with EFCC personnel recently deployed to the airport.

“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.

Ebelo urged travellers to comply with the law by declaring foreign currencies in their possession, stressing that the declaration itself does not attract any 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,” he said.

The EFCC official reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to conducting a thorough investigation into the case and pursuing prosecution where the evidence establishes criminal liability.

The EFCC and NCS also reiterated the importance of their inter-agency collaboration in tackling financial crimes, illicit cash movement and other forms of illegal cross-border financial activity.