EFCC Opens Probe Into Passenger Intercepted With $265,000 at Kano Airport

​The Kano Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has formally initiated a comprehensive investigation into Adam Musa Adam, a passenger apprehended with $265,000 in undeclared cash.

​The suspect was intercepted on Sunday, September 26, 2026, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) during routine screening protocols. Adam, traveling on a Nigerian passport, had arrived aboard an Ethiopian Airlines Flight (ET941) from New Delhi, India.

​According to officials, his luggage was flagged for secondary examination using Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology, exposing the foreign currency heavily concealed among his personal effects.

​Interagency Collaboration and Legal Action

​During the formal handover ceremony, the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Usman Umar Adamu, stressed that transporting foreign currency past statutory thresholds without official declaration directly violates Sections 3 and 4 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022, alongside provisions outlined in the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

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​The Customs boss revealed that the command has successfully intercepted unregistered foreign currencies and negotiable instruments totaling over N2.5 billion since January. He noted that handing the case over to the anti-graft agency aligns strictly with Section 4(f) of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

​Receiving the suspect and financial exhibits, the Kano Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC, Assistant Commander Friday S. Ebelo, lauded the operation as a clear manifestation of synergy between security organizations working to sanitize the nation’s financial grid.

​“The EFCC will conduct and carry out its established mandate by further investigating and prosecuting this case to its logical conclusion. In the life of a people, there comes a time that certain institutions become the beacon of hope by safeguarding our economy against illicit financial flows,” Ebelo stated.

​Safeguarding the Financial Ecosystem

​Ebelo conveyed appreciation to the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, for fostering an enabling environment for interagency partnership, while commending the Kano Command officers for their sharp vigilance. He also extended gratitude on behalf of the EFCC Executive Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, emphasizing the commission’s unwavering stance against cross-border financial crimes.