The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command of the Nigeria Customs Service has intensified collaboration with stakeholders, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the National Financial Intelligence Unit, and air travellers, to curb money laundering and terrorism financing.

The engagement, held on Tuesday at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Conference Room at MMIA, was themed ‘Anti-money laundering/counter financing terrorism procedures’.

Speaking at the event, the Customs Area Comptroller, Effiong Harrison, described the forum as timely, especially regarding the mandatory declaration of foreign currencies, negotiable instruments, precious stones, and metals at the Anti-Money Laundering Unit’s designated desk.

He said since the last sensitisation earlier this year, the command has made remarkable progress on multiple fronts through interventions and engagements with relevant stakeholders and other government agencies, as well as the travelling public.

According to him, this has resulted in the interceptions of non-declaration, false declaration, and under-declaration of currencies with the suspects, which were handed over to the EFCC for further necessary action.

“As we enter the second half of the year, it is imperative to refresh ourselves and raise the standards in ensuring that Nigeria is elevated back to acceptable International status via robust national security at the premier air border,” he stated.

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The Assistant Commander at the EFCC, Ibinabo Amachree, provided legal clarity on what constitutes the offense of non-declaration, stressing that such offenses are considered strict liability under the Money Laundering Act.

“Whether the suspect knows the law or not, once caught with undeclared funds above the legal threshold, that’s enough for prosecution. The source of the funds is irrelevant, whether legitimate or not; non-declaration itself is the offense,” she noted.

The Chief Intelligence Analyst at the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Yepin Jacob, called on airline operators and airport authorities to step up compliance measures, “which includes distributing customs declaration forms in-flight, making regular announcements about currency declaration requirements, and installing visible signage at international terminals.”

The Commander of NDLEA at MMIA, Ahmadu Garba, emphasised that every drug-related case carries a financial dimension and should be treated as a serious threat to national security.

Garba also stressed the importance of pre-arrival intelligence, noting that NDLEA often obtains detailed information about passengers, including their origin, travel history, and financial activity, before they even arrive in Nigeria.

This came as the Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, Lagos, handed over under-declared $29,000 to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.