In a dramatic turn of events at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MM2) in Lagos, several security officials were arrested on Saturday after being caught attempting to board a domestic flight with over $6.1 million in undeclared cash.
The suspects, whose identities and exact number remain undisclosed, were intercepted during routine security checks as they tried to board an Aero Contractors flight.
Sources at the airport told Hobnob News that the operatives were found with multiple boxes packed with U.S. dollars. The discovery was made after airline security personnel flagged their unusually heavy luggage during boarding procedures.
According to the source, “They had already passed through initial security screenings, but Aero’s security team grew suspicious and stopped them at the foot of the aircraft. When the boxes were inspected, they were found to contain millions of dollars.”
The incident was immediately reported to Aviation Security (AVSEC) officials, who then handed the suspects over to the Department of State Services (DSS). It was later confirmed that the DSS transferred the case to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation.
Another airport source disclosed that the suspects had claimed to be security agents escorting a suspect and exhibits, but failed to follow official procedures for such operations or declare the cash as required.
Speaking on the incident, Aero Contractors Managing Director, Captain Ado Sanusi, confirmed that his airline’s security team refused to allow the passengers on board after they declined to check in their heavy bags.
Sanusi said, “Our team noticed some passengers carrying bags that were too heavy for hand luggage. When asked to check them in, they refused and later admitted the bags contained money, which they had not declared. They also claimed to be security officers escorting a suspect, but they didn’t follow proper procedures. For safety and compliance reasons, we denied them boarding.”
Efforts by Hobnob News to reach officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (operators of MM2) were unsuccessful, as calls and messages were not returned.
Investigations into the source of the funds and the identities of those involved are ongoing.
