Police name 4 senior officers and 2 civilians intercepted
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Police have named four of their senior officers who allegedly escorted two civilians caught with $6.1 million cash at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos last Saturday.
Lagos Airport Police named Chief Superintendent of Police Muhammad Safiyan, Assistant Superintendent of Police Desmond Abella, Inspector Suleiman Jubrin, and Inspector Ali Abubakar as the officers who accompanied Mamud Abdulras and Yahaya Nasidi who were intercepted with the huge cash loaded in boxes.
The money was not declared to the Nigerian Customs Service (NSC) as required by law.
The officers reportedly claimed they were escorting the men as “suspects” linked to the stealth operation.
However, anti-graft officials have raised doubts about that explanation, questioning both the legitimacy of the escort and the source of the stupendous sum.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has detained the officers as investigation intensifies to determine who authorised the escort and who owns the cash.
A senior female police officer who reportedly received Abdulras and Nasidi upon their arrival on an Ethiopian Airlines flight is also under investigation.
The incident occurred on October 11 at the Domestic Terminal Two (DT2) of MMIA and the initial alert was filed at 7:52am, minutes before the suspects were scheduled to board Aero Contractors Flight N2121 to Abuja.
Security operatives discovered $6,170,000 and £15,000 in the possession of six male intending passengers, sparking suspicions of money laundering.
The funds were confiscated as evidence, and all individuals involved were taken into custody for interrogation, while the EFCC launched a probe into the source, purpose, and destination of the money.
Suspicious activities, failure to follow due procedure
The police officers claimed they were escorting suspects and exhibits, but failed to declare the cash or follow due procedure for transporting suspects on commercial flights.
Their activities raised suspicion at the boarding gate when security personnel noticed the oversized boxes.
Aero Contractors Managing Director Ado Sanusi told The PUNCH that the airline’s security team grew suspicious after the individuals refused to check in their heavy bags.
His words: “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 personnel 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 in 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 followed in such cases. Since they failed to follow these procedures, they were not allowed to board, and they eventually left.”
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