SECURITY operatives at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MM2), Lagos, have intercepted and arrested two suspects attempting to board a domestic flight with a staggering sum of $6.1 million in cash concealed in multiple boxes.
The suspects, identified as Mahmud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi by a source, who spoke to News Point Nigeria on condition of anonymity, were apprehended on Saturday during a routine security check while trying to board an Aero Contractors flight to Abuja.
The source stated that the arrested duo are brothers and sons of a popular businessman from the north, adding that the brothers, who had reportedly arrived from Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were en route to Abuja and then Addis Ababa, Ethiopia when they were stopped.
According to the reliable source, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security (AVSEC) became suspicious when the passengers insisted on carrying unusually heavy boxes into the aircraft cabin rather than checking them in as luggage.
When questioned by the airline’s security personnel, the suspects reportedly claimed the boxes contained “money” and identified themselves as security agents escorting a suspect along with exhibits.
However, their failure to provide official documentation or prior notification to the airline raised further suspicion.
Confirming the incident, Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, said his team’s vigilance led to the discovery.
“Our security noticed some passengers trying to board our aircraft with bags that were quite heavy. They were advised to check the bags in, but they refused,” Sanusi explained.
“Later, they said the bags contained money. When asked if the money had been declared, they said no. At that point, our security discovered they were either police officers or some form of security agents, claiming to be escorting a suspect along with exhibits.
“Since there was no prior notice or documentation, they were not allowed to board, and we escalated the matter immediately.”
Sanusi emphasized that there are standard aviation protocols for transporting suspects or sensitive materials, including prior notification and segregation from regular passengers.
Following the alert, FAAN AVSEC officers intervened and took the suspects into custody. They were first handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for preliminary interrogation before being transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
A senior FAAN official who requested anonymity confirmed to News Point Nigeria that the sequence of events, noting that the suspects had initially passed through airport security units before their eventual interception on the tarmac.
“They were caught during final boarding checks, after Aero Contractors security raised alarm over their refusal to check in the boxes. The AVSEC team took over and discovered that the boxes were filled with undeclared U.S. dollars,” the source said.
Under Nigerian law, any passenger carrying over $10,000 must declare it to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) in compliance with the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.
Efforts to reach the FAAN Director of Aviation Security, Mr. Igbafe Afegbai, and the Head of Corporate Communications of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (operators of MM2), Ajoke Yinka-Olawuyi, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages were not returned.
However, multiple airport sources added that the incident has sparked heightened security scrutiny and a fresh review of screening procedures at the Lagos domestic terminal, amid concerns that the suspects initially bypassed key security layers before being detected at the boarding gate.