A Nigerian woman, Hauwa Abdullahi Ibrahim, has been sentenced to prison after admitting to smuggling over $1 million into Nigeria. She was caught at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while bringing undeclared cash from Saudi Arabia.
Officials from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) intercepted Ibrahim upon her arrival. She had with her $1,154,900 and 135,900 Saudi Riyals, which she failed to declare as required by Nigerian law. Customs immediately handed her over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for investigation.
A court in Kano found her guilty of money laundering under Nigeria’s Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022. The EFCC prosecutor, Musa Isah, presented evidence, including the seized money, and urged the court to convict her.
Defense and Sentencing
In court, Ibrahim claimed she was unaware of the money’s presence. She said a man named Nafiu in Saudi Arabia had asked her to transport a box to Nigeria. He allegedly told her it contained dates and a small sum of money. She was given a contact number of a woman who was supposed to collect the box upon arrival in Kano.
Ibrahim said she handed the package to the woman as instructed. However, airport authorities later summoned her back, demanding her passport to clear the package. At that point, officials opened the box and discovered the undeclared cash.
She pleaded for leniency, insisting she was misled and unaware of the box’s true contents. Despite her claims, the court found her guilty of money laundering.
Justice S. M. Shuaibu sentenced her and ordered the forfeiture of the seized funds to the Nigerian government. The ruling serves as a warning against illegal currency smuggling.
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