KANO — In a major blow to syndicates exploiting the nation’s aviation gateways, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested an Aviation Security (AVSEC) Inspector and two accomplices at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) for allegedly attempting to smuggle unprocessed gold bars worth over N4.4 billion out of the country.
The prime suspect, Ali Baffa, an Inspector 1 with AVSEC, was caught using his security clearance to bypass standard airport screening. Investigators revealed that Baffa had ingeniously concealed 22.2 kilograms of unprocessed gold bars inside his trousers. His objective was to ferry the precious cargo past the terminal’s security checkpoints and hand them over to international passengers bound for overseas destinations.
The Crackdown
The breakthrough occurred on Friday, June 11, 2026, during a targeted surveillance operation by the Land and Property Fraud Section of the EFCC’s Kano Zonal Directorate. The sting operation follows a recent, stringent directive from the EFCC Executive Chairman mandating all zonal directorates to aggressively dismantle networks involved in mineral resources and bulk cash smuggling across Nigeria’s international airports.
Expanding the Net
Baffa’s arrest triggered a swift chain reaction, leading operatives directly to his alleged suppliers.
Subsequent raids led to the arrest of Aushabu Nasidi, the middleman who allegedly provided the gold bars to the security official. At the time of his arrest, Nasidi was found with a vast cache of international currencies, suggesting a deeply entrenched cross-border operation. The recovered currencies included:
- 3,000 Saudi Riyals
- 40,000 Turkish Lira
- 26,000 Hungarian Forint
- 20,700 Philippine Pesos
- 4,000 Algerian Dinars
- Small denominations of Kuwaiti Dinars, Chinese Renminbi, Australian Dollars, Hong Kong Dollars, and Sudanese Dinars.
A Multimillion-Naira Pipeline
Further interrogation of the suspects led to the apprehension of a third mastermind, Mukhtar Muhammad Dan Zaria, who is believed to be the primary source of the contraband.
While in custody, Dan Zaria made startling confessions to anti-graft investigators, admitting that the syndicate had successfully run a massive smuggling pipeline. He disclosed that between June 1 and June 11, 2026, alone, they had smuggled approximately 40.2 kilograms of gold out of the country using the exact same insider-tactical method.
The EFCC has confirmed that all three suspects remain in custody. Officials state that the trio will be formally arraigned in court as soon as the ongoing comprehensive investigations are finalized.
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