Court jails Sale Bala, Abdulahi Hamisu over undeclared $86,500, other foreign currencies

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has sentenced two individuals, Sale Bala and Abdullahi Tahir Hamisu, for failing to declare large sums of foreign currency at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, a violation of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its Kano Zonal Directorate, secured the conviction before Justice S.M. Shuaibu.

The court found the duo guilty of failing to disclose the possession of $86,500 (Eighty-Six Thousand, Five Hundred United States Dollars), 305,150 (Three Hundred and Five Thousand, One Hundred and Fifty) Saudi Riyals, 560,000 (Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand) CFA Francs, and 200 (Two Hundred) Euros.

According to a statement released by the EFCC on Saturday, the men pleaded guilty to a three-count charge related to money laundering.

One of the charges stated: “That you Sale Bala, Abdullahi Tahir Hamisu and Ibrahim Abubakar Saeed now (at large) on or about the 27th of April 2025 at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, failed to make declaration of the sum of $86,500 (Eighty Six Thousand, Five Hundred Dollars) to the Nigerian Customs Service and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition Act), 2022.”

Following their guilty pleas, EFCC counsel Musa Isah urged the court to convict the defendants as charged.

In his ruling, Justice Shuaibu found the defendants guilty on all counts and convicted them accordingly. The court also sentenced the defendants to forfeit the undeclared funds to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The first defendant, Sale Bala, was arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on April 27, 2025 while attempting to clear an unaccompanied baggage declared as “bedsheets.”

A thorough inspection by Customs officials revealed the baggage concealed the aforementioned foreign currencies. During interrogation, Bala disclosed that he was assigned to clear the consignment and deliver it to the second defendant, Abdullahi Tahir Hamisu.