The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) has reiterated that all air travellers must declare cash exceeding $10,000 at international airports during check-in, in compliance with Nigeria’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws.
According to a statement from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), the directive was reaffirmed by the Deputy General Manager of the NFIU’s Currency Operations Department at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Maryesther Eworitse, during a two-day capacity-building workshop in Lagos.
Crackdown on Suspicious Cash Movements
Eworitse revealed that joint intelligence operations between the NFIU, NCS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had recently uncovered several suspicious cash movements, including one involving more than $6 million at the Lagos airport.
She added that the NFIU had installed currency declaration kiosks at international terminals and stepped up public awareness to ensure travellers comply with the mandatory cash declaration rule.
“The NFIU has installed currency declaration kiosks at international terminals and intensified public sensitisation to remind travellers of the mandatory declaration of cash above $10,000,” she said.
Assistant Comptroller-General of Customs, Zone A, Mohammed Babandede, who represented the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, said the NCS’s partnership with the EFCC and NFIU highlights the importance of inter-agency collaboration in tackling financial crimes.
He explained that officers from key border and airport commands of the NCS, EFCC, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and NFIU participated in the workshop to share intelligence and develop actionable strategies to curb illicit financial flows.
“The selection of participants was deliberate, focusing on officers from airports and land borders where the movement of cash and human traffic is high. The training will enable participants to exchange ideas and develop actionable outcomes,” Babandede said.
He reaffirmed the Service’s commitment to securing Nigeria’s borders and urged participants to apply the knowledge gained to strengthen compliance at all ports of entry.
EFCC Emphasises Inter-Agency Synergy
Speaking at the event, EFCC Head of Investigations, Lagos Zonal Office, Shehu Muhammad, said effective collaboration among agencies was crucial in dismantling sophisticated financial crime networks.
He noted that while the Customs Service oversees the currency declaration regime, the EFCC is responsible for investigations and prosecutions. Strengthening cooperation between both agencies, he said, would enhance Nigeria’s overall anti-money laundering efforts.
Earlier in July 2025, the NCS, in collaboration with other regulatory and security agencies, held a sensitisation workshop for international airline operators at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The session focused on enforcing Nigeria’s currency declaration laws and the role of airline personnel in ensuring compliance through in-flight announcements, form distribution, and cooperation during customs checks.
Authorities warned that any traveller carrying more than $10,000 or its equivalent must declare it to customs officers or risk seizure, investigation, and prosecution under Nigeria’s anti-money laundering laws.
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