The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kano/Jigawa Area Command, has intercepted US$265,000 in undeclared foreign currency at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, as part of its efforts to enforce laws governing the movement of currency and protect the integrity of the nation’s financial system.
The Acting Customs Area Controller, Kano/Jigawa Area Command, Deputy Comptroller Usman Adamu, who disclosed this on Monday, 28 September 2026, at the Customs House, Bompai, Kano, said the currency was intercepted after a male Nigerian passenger arrived from New Delhi aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET941.
DC Adamu explained “The passenger’s luggage was scanned using Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology and flagged for secondary examination, leading to the discovery of the undeclared cash concealed among his personal belongings.”
DC Adamu said the Command had, from January to date, intercepted undeclared foreign currency and other negotiable instruments valued at more than N2.5 billion in naira equivalent, despite sustained sensitisation of travellers, traders and other stakeholders on the lawful declaration of cash and negotiable instruments.
“The Service remains committed to enforcing these laws in collaboration with relevant agencies to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system and prevent illicit financial flows, money laundering and other transnational crimes.” DC Adamu said.
According to him, the intercepted US$265,000 and the suspect were handed over to the EFCC, through the Acting Zonal Director, Friday Ebelo, as part of the inter-agency effort to combat illicit financial activities and strengthen compliance with laws governing the movement of currency into and out of the country.
“The EFCC will conduct and carry out its established mandate by further investigating and prosecuting the case to its logical conclusion.” the EFCC representative said, while appreciating the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, for creating the enabling environment for the collaboration.
Speaking during the handover, Ebelo said the development was a product of collaboration between both agencies, describing the process as part of efforts to clean and sanitise the country’s financial ecosystem.
In a separate development, the Command handed over various unregistered pharmaceutical products, pesticides and counterfeit packaging materials intercepted 2,143 sachets of medicaments of different brands, 1,423 packs of empty medicament packaging materials and 10,056 cartons of empty pesticide packaging materials at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Ports Inspection Directorate, Kano, for necessary action.
The Command said the products were identified as potential health hazards and suspected intellectual property infringements following a 100 per cent joint physical examination, which confirmed that the medicaments were not registered with NAFDAC and that there was no evidence that the packaging materials originated from the original manufacturers.
