Court orders forfeiture of ₦653 million in foreign cash smuggled into Nigeria through Kano airport.
EFCC says Salisu Ahmad hid the money in luggage after flying in from Saudi Arabia.
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has ordered the forfeiture of foreign currencies worth ₦653 million to the Federal Government after a man, Salisu Ahmad, was found guilty of not declaring the money when he arrived in Nigeria.
Justice S.M. Shuaibu delivered the ruling after Ahmad pleaded guilty to a charge filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He was accused of failing to declare large amounts of money he brought into the country.
The EFCC revealed that on July 7, 2025, Ahmad arrived at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport from Saudi Arabia on an Ethiopian Airlines flight. During a routine check by Customs officials, he was found with foreign currencies hidden in polythene bags and wrapped in cloth inside his luggage.
The seized funds included $420,900, £5,825, CFA3,946,500, and CFA224,000 (Cameroon currency). EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said the money was intercepted by Customs officers who then handed the case over to the anti-graft agency for investigation.
During questioning, Ahmad claimed he was only acting on behalf of his brother, Auwal Ahmad, who lives in Saudi Arabia. He said he had been directed to deliver the money to two people in Nigeria Yusuf Adamu and Abdulhamid Rabiu. Both men were also arrested in connection with the case.
The EFCC charged Ahmad with violating Sections 3(3) and 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, which requires individuals to declare any funds above the approved limit when entering the country.
The charge sheet read: “That you, Salisu Ahmad, on or about the 7th of July, 2025, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, failed to declare the sums collectively valued at ₦653,000,000 into Nigeria from Saudi Arabia aboard Ethiopian Air (ET940) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 3(3) and 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.”
Justice Shuaibu, after reviewing the evidence and Ahmad’s guilty plea, ordered the total amount of undeclared money to be permanently forfeited to the Nigerian government.
“The court found the defendant guilty and ruled that the entire sum of money be forfeited to the Federal Government,” the EFCC’s statement added.
