The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has launched an investigation into two individuals over the alleged failure to declare a total sum of $461,600 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano State.
The suspects, identified as Jamilu Shuaibu Waya and Usman Namadi, were apprehended on Friday, May 8, 2026, after arriving in Nigeria from Dubai aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight.
According to a statement released by the EFCC, the duo was initially intercepted by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kano/Jigawa Area Command, during routine currency declaration checks at the airport.
Preliminary declarations by the suspects indicated amounts of $130,000 and $180,000 respectively. However, a subsequent physical inspection by Customs officers revealed additional undeclared cash concealed in their possession.
Further findings showed that Waya had an extra $120,000, bringing the total amount in his possession to $250,000. Similarly, Namadi was found with an additional $31,600, raising his total to $211,600.
Inside Kano:
NSCDC Arrests 22-Year-Old for Vandalising Kaduna-Kano Railway Materials in Kano
Amnesty Condemns Deadly Political Violence in Kano
Police Intercept Stolen Vehicle, Arrest Suspect in Kano
Soldier Allegedly Shoots Senior Colleague Dead After Dispute In Kano
The EFCC noted that the failure to fully declare the funds violates provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Speaking during the handover of the suspects, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller UU Adamu, praised the ongoing collaboration between the Nigeria Customs Service and the EFCC in curbing financial crimes and illicit cash movement across borders.
In response, the Zonal Director of the EFCC Kano Directorate, Assistant Commander Friday S. Ebelo, assured that a thorough and uncompromising investigation would be conducted.
He emphasized that anyone found guilty would face the full weight of the law.
The suspects, along with the recovered funds and other exhibits, have been transferred to the EFCC Kano Zonal Directorate for further investigation.
The Commission stated that prosecution will follow upon the conclusion of investigations.
About the Author
