Security operatives were on Saturday intercepted and arrested at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MM2) in Lagos after attempting to board a domestic flight with over $6.1 million in cash.
While the specific number of suspects has not been made public, reports indicate that they were apprehended during a routine security screening while preparing to board an Aero Contractors aircraft.
According to airport sources who requested anonymity to avoid official reprimand, the individuals were caught with several boxes filled with undeclared U.S. dollars during inspection.
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It was gathered that, the personnel had earlier passed through the initial screening points before being stopped at the foot of the aircraft, following suspicions raised by Aero Contractors’ security officials about the unusually heavy luggage.
The situation was immediately escalated to Aviation Security (AVSEC) officials, who subsequently handed the suspects over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation.
A senior Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) official, who spoke under anonymity, disclosed that the DSS later transferred the suspects to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), where they are currently being detained.
Another airport source told The PUNCH that the suspects identified themselves as security operatives escorting a suspect and some exhibits. However, they reportedly failed to declare the money or follow the required procedures for moving suspects via commercial flights.
The source added that this claim initially helped them bypass standard security checks, but their actions drew attention when AVSEC officers noticed their oversized boxes at the boarding gate.
According to PUNCH, the Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, confirmed the incident, explaining that the airline’s security team became suspicious after the passengers refused to check in their heavy bags.
Sanusi stated, “Our security personnel noticed that some passengers were trying to board the aircraft with very heavy bags. They were advised to check them in, but they refused, later admitting that the bags contained money. When asked if it had been declared, they said no. That was when our team realized they were security agents claiming to escort a suspect with exhibits.”
He further clarified that the airline declined to allow them on board because they failed to comply with aviation protocols for suspect transport.
Sanusi added, “We informed them that when transporting suspects, they must notify the airline in advance. There are clear procedures for such movements, and suspects are not mixed with regular passengers. Since they ignored these procedures, they were denied boarding and eventually left.”
Repeated efforts to contact the FAAN spokesperson, Henry Agbebire, and the Director of Aviation Security, Igbafe Afegbai, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages were not returned.
Similarly, the Head of Corporate Communications at Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operators of MM2, Ajoke Yinka-Olawuyi, did not respond to inquiries as of press time.
