A Kano court has sentenced a Nigerian man to forfeit undeclared funds totaling over $420,000 and other foreign currencies after he admitted to smuggling cash into the country. Salisu Ahmad pleaded guilty to concealing the money—hidden in a wrapped polythene bag within his luggage—during a routine customs inspection at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on July 7, 2025. The undeclared funds, valued at approximately 653 million naira, included $420,900, £5,825, and multiple West and Central African CFA franc notes, according to court documents.
Justice S.M. Shuaibu of the Federal High Court ruled that the entire sum be confiscated by the Nigerian government, citing violations of the 2022 Money Laundering Act. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which prosecuted the case, stated that Ahmad was transporting the money from Saudi Arabia aboard an Ethiopian Airlines flight on behalf of his brother, Auwal Ahmad, who remains abroad. Two intended recipients, Yusuf Adamu and Abdulhamid Rabiu, were arrested upon arrival to collect the concealed funds.
Prosecution counsel Mustapha Maiwada emphasized that Ahmad’s guilty plea followed thorough investigations, streamlining the judicial process. “The defendant’s actions directly contravene laws designed to curb illicit financial flows,” Maiwada noted during proceedings. Customs officials discovered the meticulously packed currencies during a physical search, revealing layers of fabric disguising the polythene-wrapped cache.
The case highlights Nigeria’s intensified efforts to combat cross-border financial crimes, particularly undeclared cash movements linked to money laundering. Under the 2022 legislation, failure to declare amounts exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent during transit is punishable by asset forfeiture and imprisonment. While Ahmad avoided jail time, the forfeiture underscores the legal risks of bypassing financial disclosure protocols.
Authorities have not indicated whether international collaboration will be sought to investigate Auwal Ahmad’s role in Saudi Arabia. The EFCC has increasingly targeted illicit cash smuggling networks since enacting stricter anti-money laundering measures, with airport seizures rising by 31% in 2024, according to recent central bank data. This conviction reinforces warnings to travelers about stringent currency declaration requirements, even as analysts call for enhanced regional cooperation to trace transnational funding pipelines.
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