MMIA Customs Intercepts $29,000 Cash From Travellers, Hands Over to EFCC

.As Command Hosts 2nd Awareness Forum on Travellers’ Guide to Encourage Currency Declaration

ZAINAB JUNAID

The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos on Tuesday, 8 July 2025, intercepted outbound passengers going to India, caught with undeclared $29,000 cash, and handed over to Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

Customs Area Controller of the Command, Comptroller Effiong Harrison, disclosed that the money was falsely declared by the passenger at the airport, contradicting the Country’ s Anti-Money Laundering law.

He revealed that the passenger’s International Passports and other relevant documents have been handed over to the EFCC for further necessary actions.

To him, “The suspect was about to travel to India with an Emirate Flight on Tuesday. He approached the Currency Declaration Desk and declared a total $6,000. Upon examination, additional sum of $23,000 was discovered neatly concealed in different packages. thereby bringing the total sum to $29,000.

“This is in contravention of the provisions of Money Laundering Prohibition, which stipulates that any currency or other forms of negotiable instruments where the value exceeds $10,000 threshold or its equivalent must be properly declared for inbound and outbound passengers”.

Receiving the exhibits, Assistant Commander, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibinabo Amachree, who represented the Commission’s Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Ghali Mohammed, commended the efforts of the Area Controller and the Officers of the Command, noting necessary actions will be taken on the issue.

Stakeholders at the 2nd sensitisation programme on travellers’ guide at Lagos Airport.

This development followed the 2nd sensitisation programme organised by the Command on travellers’ guide to create awareness on the importance of inward and outward declaration of foreign currencies, and negotiable instruments at the designated desk of Nigeria Customs Service (Anti-Money Laundering Unit).

The event, held at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Conference Room Terminal 1, Lagos, brought together representatives from various stakeholders including security and regulatory agencies, airline operators, travel agencies, and handling companies, operating at Lagos airport.

Group picture of Stakeholders at the sensitisation programme organised by Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.

Themed: Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Financing Terrorism Procedures, the event highlighted the continued efforts of the Nigeria Customs Service to curtail influx of illicit funds.

Speaking at the event, Area Controller Harrison noted that the introduction of the sensitisation programme in February 2025, has brought remarkable progress to the Command on multiple fronts through interventions and engagements with relevant stakeholders, as well as the traveling public.

He said the development has resulted in the interceptions of non-declaration, false and under declaration of currencies with suspects handed over to relevant agencies for further necessary actions.

Comptroller Harrison stated that this month awareness programme was expanded to cover more stakeholders for robust national security at the premier air border, and to raise standards in ensuring Nigeria is elevated back to acceptable international status.

He emphasised the inward and outward declaration of foreign currencies, negotiable instruments, precious stones or metals by passengers at the designated desk of NCS.

Cross Section of Participants at the event.

While fielding questions from journalists, Assistant Comptroller of Customs from Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit, Salihu Safiyanu Mas’ud posited that the sensitisation programme is in continuation of Nigerian Customs Service efforts to reach out to stakeholders, particularly the airline operators and other operators in the aviation sector, in its efforts to enforce the currency declaration regime.

He explained that the regime requires cross-border travelers to make declarations of currencies in their possession in excess of 10,000 US dollars to the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) when they are entering or exiting the country.