CUSTOMS NAB PASSENGER WITH $265,000; EFCC COMMENCES PROBE
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has taken custody of a traveler intercepted at the airport with $265,000 in undeclared foreign currency. According to a statement released on the EFCC’s official X account on Tuesday, the suspect was arrested by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) during a routine screening operation.
The suspect, identified as Adam Musa Adam, a Nigerian passport holder, was intercepted on September 26, 2026. He had just arrived from New Delhi aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight (ET941) when law enforcement intervened.
Customs officials flagged his luggage for a secondary examination using Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology. This scan led to the discovery of the massive cash stash, which had been hidden among his personal belongings without being declared to border authorities. Following the discovery, the NCS handed Adam and the seized currency over to the EFCC’s Kano Zonal Directorate for further investigation.
Deputy Comptroller Usman Umar Adamu, the Acting Customs Area Controller for the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, noted that transporting foreign currency above the approved regulatory threshold without proper declaration violates Sections 3 and 4 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, as well as provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
He further revealed that the command has intercepted over N2.5 billion worth of undeclared foreign currency and negotiable instruments since January.
Receiving the suspect and the exhibits, the Acting Kano Zonal Director of the EFCC, Assistant Commander Friday S. Ebelo, praised the handover as a prime example of successful inter-agency collaboration against illicit financial crimes.
Ebelo stated that the EFCC would fully investigate the case and prosecute it to a logical conclusion, emphasizing that institutions must act as beacons of hope to protect the national economy from illegal financial flows.
Concluding the handover, Ebelo expressed his gratitude to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for fostering strong partnerships between the two agencies.
He also commended the frontline Customs officers for their vigilance in enforcing cross-border currency regulations. The EFCC confirmed that its ongoing investigation will establish the exact circumstances surrounding the undeclared $265,000 to determine the next legal steps.
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