The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has detained an Aviation Security officer, Inspector Ali Baffa, alongside two other suspects over an alleged attempt to illegally export unprocessed gold bars worth more than ₦4.4 billion through the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
The development was announced by the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC in a statement shared on the commission’s official social media platforms on Friday.
According to the anti-corruption agency, “Baffa was apprehended on Thursday during a routine surveillance operation at the airport.”
The commission alleged that the security officer hid 22.2 kilograms of gold bars inside his trousers and planned to transfer them to passengers travelling abroad.
Further investigations by operatives reportedly led to the arrest of Aushabu Nasidi, who was said to be connected to the source of the gold consignment.
The EFCC disclosed that a range of foreign currencies was recovered from Nasidi during the operation. The currencies included Saudi Riyals, Turkish Lira, Kuwaiti Dinar, Philippine Peso, Australian Dollars, Chinese Renminbi, Algerian Dinar, Hong Kong Dollars, Hungarian Forint and Sudanese Dinar.
Investigators subsequently arrested Mukhtar Muhammad Dan Zaria, who was allegedly responsible for supplying the gold bars to Nasidi.
The commission stated that during questioning, Dan Zaria admitted to smuggling approximately 40.2 kilograms of gold between June 1 and June 11, 2026, through a similar method.
According to the EFCC, all three suspects are currently being held in custody and will be arraigned in court after investigations are concluded.
The arrest comes as Nigerian authorities continue efforts to combat the illegal export of solid minerals, especially gold, amid concerns over significant revenue losses and the operations of organised smuggling networks.
In recent years, security agencies and anti-corruption bodies have recorded multiple arrests involving the unlawful transportation of gold and other mineral resources through airports and border corridors across the country.
