Justice S.M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court sitting in Kano has sentenced a man, Salisu Ahmad, to prison for attempting to smuggle a staggering ₦653 million worth of foreign currency into Nigeria without declaring it to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Ahmad was arrested on July 7, 2025, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while arriving from Saudi Arabia aboard Ethiopian Airlines (ET940). Upon routine screening, Customs officials uncovered undeclared sums including:
$420,900 (USD)
£5,825 (GBP)
CFA 3,946,500 (West African CFA)
Cameroonian CFA 224,000
The currencies were hidden inside polythene bags covered with clothes and packed within his luggage.
He was charged and convicted under Sections 3(3) and 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. Upon pleading guilty, he was sentenced, and the entire undeclared sum was forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Ahmad confessed that he was transporting the money on behalf of his brother, Auwal Ahmad, who remains in Saudi Arabia. The money was reportedly intended for delivery to Yusuf Adamu and Abdulhamid Rabiu, both of whom were arrested while attempting to collect the funds.
This arrest and conviction highlight ongoing efforts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and NCS to curb cross-border financial crimes and enforce anti-money laundering laws.
Source: EFCC Nigeria
