Two travelers arrested with $6.1 million in cash at the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2) in Lagos have been identified and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation.
EpeInsights gathered that the suspects, identified as Mahmud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi, were apprehended by operatives of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security (AVSEC) while attempting to board an Aero Contractors flight to Abuja.
Sources at the airport said the men were found with multiple boxes loaded with undeclared U.S. dollars, far exceeding the legal threshold for cash movement without declaration.
According to Nigeria’s anti-money laundering regulations, travelers carrying over $10,000 are required to declare the amount to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) before departure.
Security officials disclosed that the suspects had passed through standard security checks but were intercepted on the tarmac after raising suspicion.
Following their arrest, the duo were initially handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) before being transferred to the EFCC.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed the development, stating that the suspects are now in custody.
“I can confirm that the suspects two of them were intercepted today and handed over to us after their arrest by FAAN officials. FAAN handed them to the DSS, and the DSS subsequently transferred them to the EFCC,” Oyewale said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, explained that the incident began when the airline’s security personnel noticed that the passengers attempted to board with unusually heavy hand luggage.
“They refused to check in the bags, and later admitted that the bags contained money,” Sanusi said. “When asked if the funds had been declared, they said no. Our security team then discovered that the individuals claimed to be security agents escorting a suspect and exhibits.”
Sanusi noted that the travelers failed to follow established aviation security procedures for transporting suspects or exhibits, prompting the airline to deny them boarding.
“If you are moving a suspect or exhibits, you must inform the airline in advance. There are specific boarding and in-flight protocols. Since they did not follow due process, they were not allowed to board,” he explained.
The seized cash and suspects were officially received by CSE Margaret Lamai on behalf of the EFCC’s Acting Zonal Director, Lagos Zonal Directorate 2, Assistant Commander Ahmed Ghali.
Sources said preliminary findings indicate the suspects arrived from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and were scheduled to travel to Abuja before connecting to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The EFCC has yet to disclose further details about the source or intended destination of the funds as investigations continue.
