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Airline Staff Raises Alarm As Security Personnel Attempt To Fly With $6.1m, £53,000 Cash

 

••• As EFCC Probes $6m, £53,000 Cash

 

 

 

Muritala Mohammed International Airport Lagos

 

 

By Our Reporter

Security operatives attempting to board a flight with over $6.1 million and £53,000 in cash were intercepted and arrested on Saturday at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 in Lagos.

The suspects, Mamud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi were reportedly caught during routine checks while trying to board an Aero Contractors flight.

Sources who pleaded anonymity to prevent official sanctions at the airport because they were not authorised to speak on the matter, confirm that the passengers were found with multiple boxes loaded with undeclared U.S dollars.

The $6.1 million and £53,000 cash

 

A report by THE PUNCH said that the personnel had initially passed through airport security units before they were apprehended at the foot of the aircraft after Aero Contractors security noticed the heavy luggage.

The matter was then escalated and was reported to Aviation Security, who later handed it over to the Department of State Services.

A senior FAAN official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the DSS later transferred the suspects to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, where they are currently being held for further investigation.

Another airport source told The PUNCH that the suspects had claimed to be security agents escorting a suspect and exhibits, but failed to declare the cash or follow due procedures for transporting suspects on commercial flights.

Meanwhile, the source said this claim may have helped the suspects bypass the initial security screening. However, their activities raised suspicion at the boarding gate when AVSEC officers noticed the oversized boxes.

Speaking with our correspondent over the phone, the Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, confirmed the incident, saying his airline’s security team grew suspicious after the individuals refused to check in their heavy bags.

Sanusi explained that the bags contained money, and when asked if it had been declared, the suspects said no.

He explained, “What happened was that our security noticed some passengers trying to board our aircraft with bags that were quite heavy. Our security team advised them to check the bags in, as they could not be carried into the cabin.

They refused to check the bags, and later they said it was money. When asked if the money had been declared, they said no. At that point, our security personnel discovered that the individuals were either police officers or some form of security agents, who claimed they were escorting a suspect along with exhibits. That was why they resisted checking in the bags.

“We then informed them that if they were transporting a suspect, they were required to notify us in advance. There are standard procedures for moving suspects; we don’t mix them with regular passengers. There are boarding, deboarding, and in-flight protocols that must be followed in such cases. Since they failed to follow these procedures, they were not allowed to board, and they eventually left.”

In a related development,
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has launched an investigation into two travellers found in possession of undeclared foreign currencies totalling over $6,000 and £53,000 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Terminal 2 in Lagos.

This was made known through a statement posted on the agency’s verified X handle on Saturday.

Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, based in Ikoyi, have identified the suspects as Mamud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi.

The anti-graft agency said the suspects were apprehended by personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria during a routine check on Saturday.

Credit: Saturday PUNCH)

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