Two suspects, identified as Mahmud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi have nabbed with $6.1 million cash at the domestic wing of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 in Lagos.
According to some online reports, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation security (AVSEC) intercepted and arrested the two travelers attempting to board a flight during routine checks of an Aero Contractors flight to Abuja.
The passengers who had escaped proper search at previous points, having initially passed through airport security units before they were arrested on the tarmac were found with multiple boxes loaded with undeclared U.S dollars.
Explaining the incident, CEO of Aero Contractors Ado Sanusi narrated: “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.”
Meanwhile the arrested suspects have been handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) by FAAN AVSEC who in turn handed them over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Unconfirmed reports say that the suspects were coming from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and were on their way to Abuja en route to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Spokesperson of EFCC, Dele Oyewale who confirmed that the two suspects are in their custody, declared: “I can confirm to you that the suspects- two of them – were intercepted today and upon their arrest by the operatives of FAAN, they were handed over to us.
“The officials of FAAN handed them over to the DSS and the DSS handed them over to us.”
