In its continuing onslaught against smuggling of drugs, illicit items, as well as arms and ammunition, Customs at Lagos and Abuja International Airports as well as those of Ogun 1 command have intercepted hundreds of thousands of hard currencies in what looks like rising laundering of illicit funds from foreign countries
By Edu Abade
In recent times, attention seems to be shifting from importation arms and ammunition to direct laundering of foreign currencies into the country. Interestingly, each time the launderers try to outsmart men and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), either by under-declaration or outright concealment, the purveyors of such cash are caught in the act.
On Wednesday, March 19, 2025, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command of NCS intercepted a passenger over falsely declaration of $578,000. Announcing the seizure in a media briefing, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Effiong John Harrison disclosed that the suspect, identified as Okorie Sylvernus Sunday, who arrived from Johannesburg on a South African Airways flight SA60, initially declared $279,000, but a further examination revealed an additional $299,000 neatly concealed in different packages. He said the total sum amounted to $578,000, adding that the suspect also concealed Euro100 and a counterfeit $250.
Comptroller Harrison explained that the passenger’s action violated the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011, which requires passengers to declare currency exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent, stressing that such acts, fuel insecurity, undermine the financial market’s dignity and hinder the country’s growth.
“We are here to showcase what we are doing in collaboration with security agencies to promote the security and safety of the country and facilitate the sanctity of the financial system. We have been having issues with people who have engaged in activities that are inimical to growth and prosperity of the economy.
“One of such people are those trafficking currencies and their actions are not good for the economy because it’s capable of limiting our growth, depleting our currency and making members of the public to lose trust in the financial system. So today, we want to let the public know that we are resolute in arresting and stopping their nefarious activities that have brought the country into dispute with the international community.
“We are ready and will continuously work together with organizations of the government to ensure that those who engage in this activity do not use the International Airport Command, to carry out their nefarious act. We want to promote a situation whereby the country is seen as an investment destination. We want to promote a system whereby the investors have confidence to come to Nigeria to do business,” he stated.
The passenger and his travel documents, along with the foreign currencies were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
This action, Comptroller Harrison noted, is in line with the policy thrust of Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi on collaboration, consolidation and innovation.
While receiving the exhibits, the EFCC representative, Acting Zonal Director, ACEI Ahmed Ghali, urged the public to declare cash accurately, especially amounts exceeding $10,000 to avoid penalties.
He stressed that the law only permits and requires honest declaration, maintaining that failure to comply with the law will result in consequences.
“We are here to take over the interception made on Wednesday. The passenger was discovered wanting of falsely declaring the cash he was carrying along. The provision of the law is very clear, and it’s incumbent on each and every person, whether going out of Nigeria or coming into the country to declare any cash in his possession in excess of $10,000.
“No matter how much is the amount, all what the law requires upon that person and is mandatory is declaration, an honest declaration that is required. Nobody will stop you from traveling with your cash in as much that you declare it, no matter the amount.
“My advice for members of the public is to desist from the act of false or non declaration. This is because the law will catch up with them. We will not allow people that will sabotage our economy, our financial system and make us expose to lots of risks in terms of money laundering, been seen as a haul and been blacklisted as a country that is condoning things like money laundering. So we urge members of the public to always declare their assets, be it cash, jewelries and in as much as it’s up to $10,000.
“We will continue to synergize with our sister agencies to have a better country with strong economy and a very functional financial system. We will continue to collaborate with Customs and other sister agencies, as we share common goals, we have to discharge people’s mandate. We are always together,” he said.
To serve as a deterrent to others who may be bent on engaging in money laundering, as of Thursday, March 27, 2025, the EFCC announced that it convicted Okorie Sylvernus Sunday and committed him to a six-month jail term for contravening the country’s anti-money laundering laws.
In a related development, on Thursday, March 20, 2025, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command intercepted $193,000 undeclared foreign currency concealed in a carton of yoghurt at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja resulting from credible intelligence gathering and a vigilant baggage check on an inbound passenger.
The Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Olumide Adebisi, who addressed journalists at the airport’s international wing, disclosed that the suspect, identified as Kamilu Abdullahi Sarina (40), arrived Nigeria onboard an Ethiopian Airlines Flight No. 951 from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
He said, acting on intelligence received earlier in the day, customs officers conducted a detailed inspection, which led to the discovery of the concealed funds.
Adebisi said around the early hours of day, they received an intelligence report, which proved very helpful, while in the afternoon, one Kamilu Abdullahi Sarina, who boarded Ethiopian Airlines from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was found concealing a total sum of $193,000 in a carton of yoghurt.
He noted that the undeclared cash violates the Anti-Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, both of which mandate that any traveler in possession of funds exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent in negotiable instruments must declare it to the Nigeria Customs upon arrival or departure.
He said, the law clearly states that if a person has funds above $10,000, they must declare it to Customs, while failure to do so could result in the forfeiture of the money, or a prison sentence of up to two years, or both.
In providing further details on how customs officers uncovered the smuggled cash, Adebisi noted that advanced scanning technology played a crucial role in detecting the unusual density of the suspect’s luggage.
Beside this, Comptroller Adebisi said when Sarina’s luggage was scanned, officers detected an unusual density, though officers allowed him to proceed but closely monitored his baggage. Upon further inspection, the officers discovered that the density was irregular, so they asked him to return.
Comptroller Adebisi said, in his presence, officers checked the package and found the undeclared money hidden inside the yoghurt carton adding that as required by the law, the $193,000 was formally handed over to the EFCC for further investigation and prosecution.
In reaffirming the NCS’ commitment to enforcing financial regulations and preventing illicit financial flows across borders, Comptroller Adebisi warned that travelers attempting to bypass financial regulations would face strict legal consequences.
He said all travelers must comply with Nigeria’s financial regulations, particularly the legal requirement to declare any cash or negotiable instruments exceeding the approved threshold when travelling in or out of the country.
He disclosed that the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995 provide clear guidelines on currency declaration, while non-compliance with these regulations violates Nigerian law and attracts severe penalties.
The Controller further assured that the FCT Command will continue collaborating with sister agencies, particularly the EFCC, to strengthen border security and financial crime enforcement.
Adebisi, who urged travelers and stakeholders to remain vigilant and adhere to lawful financial practices, commended CGC Adeniyi for creating an enabling working environment for officers and men of the command and the entire Service, which has enhanced operational efficiency.
Meanwhile, the Ogun I Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) also handed over CFA7 million (an equivalent of $11,000) impounded during a routine baggage inspection at the Idiroko Border to the EFCC.
The Customs Area Controller, Ogun I Area Command, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu, stated this at a media briefing on Tuesday, March 25, 2025 saying that the cash was recovered on March 20, 2025.
He said: “Some customs officers, conducting a thorough search of passenger bags at the outward baggage hall for travelers en route Benin Republic from Nigeria, flagged one particular bag that appeared to contain suspicious content.
“Upon further investigation in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, the officers found the bag concealing new mint foreign currency notes amounting to 7,000,000 CFA.”
Shuaibu explained that moving such huge amount of cash across the border without statutory declaration contravenes the Anti-Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1995.
While handing over the recovered sum to the Head of Investigation, EFCC Lagos Zone 2, Moses Oguzi, Controller Shuaibu stated that the command remains resolute in defending the nation’s borders from smuggling in line with the policy thrust of CGC Adeniyi.
On his part, Oguzi, while receiving the money for onward investigation, commended the NCS for its vigilance in curtailing illegal movement of funds from the country, maintaining that the synergy between the NCS and the EFCC would improve interagency collaboration.
Oguzi maintained that the EFCC will further investigate the seizure to the end of tackling financial crimes within the country.
He said: “The EFCC remains steadfast in its mandate to combat economic and financial crimes. This interception serves as a clear reminder of the vital role that agencies like the Nigeria Customs Service play in maintaining the integrity of our nation’s financial systems.
“As we take over this case, the EFCC will conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the circumstances surrounding this interception and ensure that due process is followed. Let this serve as a reminder that no effort will be spared in holding accountable those who seek to undermine the integrity of our financial systems.”
