EFCC Commences Investigation Of Two Suspects For Undeclared $461,600 At Kano Airport

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Directorate, has begun investigation of two male suspects: Jamilu Shuaibu Waya and Usman Namadi for a total sum of $461,600 (Four Hundred Sixty One Thousand, Six Hundred United States Dollars) undeclared to men and officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Kano/Jigawa Area Command at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.

The suspects were arrested on Friday, May 8, 2026, after arriving from Dubai via Ethiopian Airline ET941. While they initially declared $130,000 and $180,000 respectively at the currency declaration desk, a subsequent physical examination by Customs officers revealed an additional undeclared $120,000 on the first suspect (bringing his total to $250,000) and an additional $31,600 on the second suspect (bringing his total to $211,600). The undeclared amounts contravene Sections 3 and 4 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022.

Eereporter.com
Upon handover by the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller UU Adamu, the Zonal Director of the EFCC Kano Directorate, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1 Friday S. Ebelo, assured the Nigeria Customs Service of the Commission’s commitment to a full-scale investigation.

“The EFCC will conduct a thorough and uncompromising investigation into this matter. We will prosecute the case with the utmost diligence to ensure that violators of our anti-money laundering laws face the full weight of justice,” he said.

He further expressed deep appreciation to the NCS for the long-standing and consistent cooperation of the Service with the EFCC over the years, noting that such inter-agency collaboration remains critical in combating the illegal movement of cash and financial crimes.

Similarly, in his earlier remarks, Adamu expressed his deep appreciation to the EFCC’s for its unwavering support to the Nigeria Customs Service.

EFCC

‘’Let me express appreciation for the continuous collaboration with the EFCC Kano Zonal Directorate for their support in realizing our goal while combating the illegal movement of cash”, he said.

Following the formal takeover, the two suspects, along with the recovered undeclared currency and other relevant exhibits, were transported to the office of the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, where they are currently being held for further investigation and potential prosecution.

NPF Dismantles Transnational Human Trafficking, Fraud Syndicate, Rescues 30 Foreign National

The Nigeria Police Force has recorded a major breakthrough in the fight against transnational organised crime following the dismantling of a human trafficking and fraudulent exploitation syndicate operating within the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring communities. The operation led to the rescue of thirty (30) foreign nationals and the arrest of thirteen (13) suspects linked to the criminal network.

The suspects arrested include Abdul Ngaki, identified as the principal suspect and syndicate leader, alongside Fatimah Kulibali, Ahmad Kasango, Sidibe Musa, Muhammad Dembele, Saidu Traore, Ali Koulibaly, Abdul Ngeki, Ahmed Sirma, Laya Bando, Aisha Dembele, Abi Togo, and Awa Tesure.

Eereporter.com
Investigations commenced following intelligence concerning the disappearance of several foreign nationals within Nigeria under suspicious circumstances.

Preliminary findings revealed that the syndicate targeted vulnerable young persons from West African countries, particularly Mali and Gabon, with false promises of migration opportunities to Europe and lucrative employment in Nigeria.

Victims were induced to pay processing and transportation fees before being conveyed to residential locations in Mararaba and Karu, Nasarawa State, where they were held under exploitative and restrictive conditions.

Further investigations established that victims who could not meet additional financial demands were coerced into participating in staged kidnapping schemes orchestrated by the syndicate. Under the arrangement, victims were forced to contact relatives in their home countries while pretending to have been kidnapped, thereby compelling family members to remit ransom payments into accounts controlled by the syndicate.

Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) conducted coordinated operations on 7th May 2026 at identified hideouts along Barrister Road, Rugan Dakachi, Nasarawa State, leading to the rescue of thirty (30) victims, all identified as Malian nationals, and the arrest of thirteen suspects directly connected to the operation.

Police

The Nigeria Police Force its commitment to combating human trafficking, transnational organised crime, and all forms of exploitation, while assuring members of the public that all persons connected to the criminal network will be brought to justice.

DCP ANTHONY OKON PLACID, psc (+), mnipr, mni
Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters, Abuja
18th May, 2026

EFCC Hands Over Recovered N837m To Katsina State Governor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano Zonal Directorate, on Monday, May 18, 2026 officially handed over recovered monetary exhibits totaling ₦837,485,389.00 to the Katsina State Government.

The handover followed separate investigations into two major cases involving stolen public funds belonging to the state.

In the first case, the Commission recovered ₦547,015,389.00 ( Five Hundred and Forty Seven Million, Fifteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty Nine Naira) following a petition from the Katsina State Government regarding the criminal diversion of nearly ₦1.3 billion in statutory tax remittances.

Eereporter.com
The funds, which originated from international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and ALIMA, were systematically diverted into a private bank account by six Board of Internal Revenue Service (BOIRS) personnel and three bank employees.

Following the investigation, 12 suspects were charged to court. Six of the suspects have already been convicted after pleading guilty, while the remaining six are currently standing trial at the Katsina State High Court.

In the second case, the Commission recovered ₦290,470,000.00 ( Two Hundred and Ninety Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) traced to a systemic fraud uncovered by a 2021 intelligence report. The investigation revealed that former Sub-Treasurer, Sani Lawal BK and former Deputy Sub-Treasurer Saadu Maiwada in the office of the Accountant General of Katsina State colluded and diverted the sum to their personal companies through unauthorized, substantial cash withdrawals from the Katsina State Sub-Treasury Expenditure Account. Investigation also revealed that no services were rendered, nor any contracts awarded to warrant the withdrawals.

The suspects had since been charged to court and arraigned on July 11, 2023 on offences bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of funds in both Federal and State High Courts. Trials have commenced and witnesses are testifying before the courts.

The handover ceremony took place at the Kano Zonal Directorate, where the Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1Friday S. Ebelo, presented the recovered funds to Dr. Kabir Abdullahi Yantumaki, Executive Director of Standard and Compliance, Katsina State Internal Revenue Service.

Speaking during the ceremony, Ebelo reiterated the Commission’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that public funds are protected and that individuals entrusted with their management are held accountable.

He noted that the recovery was a result of painstaking investigative work by the hardworking officers of the Commission. He also urged the Katsina State Government to utilize the recovered funds judiciously for the benefit of Katsina State citizens.

EFCC

“This money belongs to the people of Katsina State, and I will urge that same be used for the betterment of the people of Katsina State,” he said. He urged public officials to adhere to due process and warned that the EFCC would continue to track all forms of financial malfeasance.

Receiving the drafts, Yantumaki expressed gratitude to the EFCC for its diligence and professionalism. He assured that the recovered funds would be properly channeled into the state’s consolidated revenue account for the benefit of citizens.