How Two Suspects After Beating Security Walked Themselves Into Trouble At Lagos  Airport Carrying $6.1m, £53,415 Cash

By Adesina Soyooye

But for their disobedience, Mahmud Nasidi and Yahaya Nasidi, could have been home and dry with billions of Naira to boot. They could have been sleeping, tucked  under beautiful bedsheets in their bedrooms instead of cooling their feet at the Ikoyi, Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

They had beaten every security at the Local Wing of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, and were at the foot of the Aircraft, Aero Contractors, to board. But a simple, unnecessary, disobedience put them into trouble.

While trying to board, the ground staff of the Airline noticed they were carrying two large, heavy, bags, and asked that they check-in the bags for them as they were not likely to fit into the overhead compartment of the cabin.

Nothing odd. Usually, when a passenger is carrying a big hand luggage, it’s taken from the passenger at the foot of the aircraft, tagged and checked in.

But the two men refused to allow the luggage checked-in for them. Asked why, since there is no space for the luggages in the cabin, on their own, they disclosed they were carrying cash to the tune of six million-plus US Dollars and £53, 415. Taken aback by the large sum, they were asked if they declared it. They said they did not. In Nigeria, one is not allowed to carry more than $10,000 when travelling, unless declared to the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS.

The story they told the multiple security units inside the airport before arriving at the tarmac is not public yet. It was officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, that, then, arrested them and handed them over to operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS, who in turn, handed them over to the EFCC.

Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for the EFCC, was quoted to have said: “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.”

Ado Sanusi, the Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors explained the circumstances which led to their arrest. He said “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 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 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 allowed in such cases. Since they failed to follow these procedures, they were not allowed to board.”