The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, has intercepted $578,000 in undeclared cash from an inbound passenger arriving from South Africa.
John Harrison, the Customs Area Controller, disclosed this to journalists at the command’s headquarters on Friday. He stated that the suspect, Okorie Sunday, arrived in Nigeria on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, with the undeclared funds concealed on his person.
According to Harrison, the passenger initially declared $279,000 but further searches revealed an additional $299,000 concealed on his body, bringing the total to $578,000. This amount exceeds the legal threshold of $10,000 for undeclared cash. The suspect was also found to be in possession of £100 and a counterfeit $250 note.
The intercepted cash was handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and jointly counted and confirmed by both agencies.
Harrison emphasized that such actions undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s financial system. He further stated that the NCS has made declaration forms available at airline counters to facilitate legal declarations by passengers.
Ahmed Ghali, the acting Zonal Director of the EFCC, urged the public to comply with the law, stating that any amount exceeding $10,000 must be declared. He warned that undeclared funds could expose the country to money laundering and portray it as a hub for illicit financial activities.
Ghali confirmed that the EFCC will conduct further investigations to verify the authenticity of the money and take appropriate legal action.
