The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has apprehended a staff member of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) along with two other suspects in connection with an alleged money laundering scheme. The suspects, identified as Ali Baffa, an Inspector in the Aviation Security section, Aushabu Nasidi, and Mukhtar Muhammad Dan Zaria, were captured during a surveillance operation at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano.
Details of the Arrests
According to sources within the EFCC, the suspects were allegedly involved in the smuggling of gold and foreign currencies into the country through the Kano Airport. The anti-graft agency revealed that the arrests were made on 11 June 2026, following a directive from the commission’s chairman to all zonal directorates to intensify efforts against the smuggling of mineral resources and bulk cash via Nigeria’s international airports.
Preliminary Investigations
Preliminary investigations uncovered that Baffa allegedly concealed 22.2 kilograms of unprocessed gold bars, valued at over N4.4 billion, inside his trousers in an attempt to evade security screening and facilitate the illegal export of the precious minerals through international passengers. The commission stated that further investigations led to the arrest of Nasidi, who was allegedly responsible for supplying the gold bars to the AVSEC officer.
During the operation, EFCC operatives recovered several foreign currencies from Nasidi, including 3,000 Saudi Riyals, 40,000 Turkish Lira, 199.75 Kuwaiti Dinars, 20,700 Philippine Pesos, 80 Australian Dollars, 310 Chinese Renminbi, 4,000 Algerian Dinars, 40 Hong Kong Dollars, 26,000 Hungarian Forints, and 1,000 Sudanese Dinars.
Further Arrest and Confessions
The investigation subsequently led to the arrest of Dan Zaria, who allegedly handed over the gold bars to Nasidi for onward transfer. During questioning, Dan Zaria reportedly admitted to smuggling approximately 40.2 kilograms of gold between 1 and 11 June 2026 using the same method.
The EFCC has disclosed that all three suspects remain in custody as investigations continue, and they will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of the process.
