Four Police Officers Detained Over Escort Of Men Found With $6.1m At Lagos Airport

Authorities have identified four senior Nigeria Police Force officers involved in escorting two men found with $6.1 million in cash at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

The officers CSP Muhammad Safiyan, ASP Desmond Abella, Inspector Suleiman Jubrin, and Inspector Ali Abubakar—allegedly accompanied Mamud Abdulras and Yahaya Nasidi, who were intercepted with the cash.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the police officers claimed they were escorting the men as “suspects” in connection with an undisclosed operation. However, anti-graft officials are questioning the legitimacy of the claim, as well as the source and purpose of the large cash movement.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained the officers as part of an ongoing investigation to determine who authorised the escort and the ownership of the funds. A senior female police officer, who reportedly received the men via an Ethiopian Airlines flight, is also under investigation.

According to reports, the incident occurred on October 11, 2025, at Domestic Terminal Two (DT2). The initial alert was filed at 7:52 a.m., just before the suspects were scheduled to board Aero Flight N2121 to Abuja.

Security personnel discovered a total of $6,170,000 and £15,000 in the possession of six male intending passengers, prompting suspicions of money laundering. The cash was seized, and the individuals were detained while the EFCC launched a full-scale probe into the source and intended destination of the funds.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed that the initial two suspects, Mamud Abdulras and Yahaya Nasidi, are in the agency’s custody. The suspects were apprehended by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS), and subsequently to the EFCC after several boxes containing undeclared U.S. dollars were found during routine security screening.

Under Nigerian anti–money laundering laws, travellers carrying cash exceeding $10,000 are required to declare the amount to the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).