The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun investigating two travelers arrested for allegedly attempting to leave the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with undeclared foreign currencies totaling $6.1 million and £53,415 in cash.
According to a statement released by Dele Oyewale, EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, operatives from the Commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 in Ikoyi received the suspects, identified as Mamud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi from the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The suspects were reportedly intercepted by Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) operatives during a routine check on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at the Lagos airport.
They were said to have just arrived in the country from Dubai, en route Addis Ababa, and were scheduled to continue their journey to Abuja when the cash was discovered.
Upon discovery of the undeclared funds, the FAAN officers handed the suspects over to the DSS, which subsequently transferred them to the EFCC.
“In addition to the cash, three mobile phones were recovered from the suspects as exhibits”, EFCC said.
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The statement confirmed that Margaret Lamai of EFCC, received the suspects and the recovered items on behalf of Ahmed Ghali, acting Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC.
The EFCC reiterated its commitment to enforcing all financial laws relating to movement of funds, stressing that travelers are required under Nigerian law to declare cash or negotiable instruments exceeding $10,000 or its equivalent upon arrival or departure.
Investigations into the case are ongoing, and the Commission assured that appropriate legal action will be taken upon conclusion of the inquiry.
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