Kano Man Jailed For Concealing ₦653m In Foreign Currency At Airport.
A Federal High Court in Kano has sentenced Salisu Ahmad to prison for failing to declare foreign currencies worth over £653 million at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The ruling, delivered by Justice S.M. Shuaibu, followed Ahmad’s guilty plea to a single charge of non-declaration of funds, marking a significant step in Nigeria’s efforts to curb illicit financial flows.
The Nigeria Customs Service, in collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), apprehended Ahmad on 7 July 2025 during a routine check at the airport. The suspect, a Kano native holding a Ghanaian passport, had arrived from Saudi Arabia on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. A physical inspection of his luggage revealed $420,900, £5,825, CFA 3,946,500, and 224,000 Cameroonian CFA concealed in a polythene bag, covered by clothes and other fabrics. Ahmad admitted to transporting the funds on behalf of his brother, Auwal Ahmad, who remains in Saudi Arabia, for delivery to two individuals, Yusuf Adamu and Abdulhamid Rabiu, who were also arrested upon attempting to claim the money.
Comptroller Dalhatu Abubakar of the Kano/Jigawa Area Command, speaking at a joint press briefing with EFCC Zonal Director Ibrahim Shazali, highlighted the interception as a milestone in the fight against illegal currency smuggling. He noted that the operation followed a sensitisation campaign conducted in April 2025 to educate stakeholders on currency declaration laws. The seized funds, equivalent to ₦653.9 million, were handed over to the EFCC for further investigation, in line with the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2022 and the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, which mandate travellers to declare currencies exceeding $10,000.
Shazali, during the handover, underscored the strong synergy between the Customs Service and the EFCC, stating that the seizure sends a clear message against financial crimes. The conviction of Ahmad, alongside the arrest of the two accomplices, reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to safeguarding its financial system and territorial integrity. The court also ordered the forfeiture of the undeclared currencies to the federal government, further strengthening measures to deter similar offences.
This case highlights the ongoing collaboration between Nigerian authorities to tackle money laundering and related crimes, ensuring robust enforcement of financial regulations at the nation’s borders.
