The newly inaugurated World Customs Organization (WCO) Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) Mentoring Mission Team has called for stronger measures to combat illicit financial flows following an inspection tour of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Command.
The engagement, which forms part of the Nigeria Customs Service's efforts to identify operational bottlenecks affecting key stakeholders, commenced at the Nigeria Customs Service Electronic Currency Declaration Unit at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Ikeja on Tuesday, 20 October 2026.
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller of Customs (DC) Jacob Onele, the Deputy Comptroller in charge of Enforcement, DC Mahmood Mundi, said collaboration with the WCO Mission is essential to fostering a united front against illicit financial flows in line with international best practices.
He highlighted the recent successes recorded through the initiative under the leadership of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, while acknowledging the significant contributions of sister security agencies to border security.
“In 2025, the unit seized undeclared currencies totalling about €834,165 and $1,316,692. Subsequently, the seizures were transferred to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for further investigation and prosecution. The AML/CFT MMIA Unit, through the efforts of the headquarters, migrated from manual currency declaration forms to electronic currency declaration in 2025. I think that is a plus for us, and we should applaud ourselves,” he said.
In his response, the National Coordinator of the Nigeria Customs Service Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Unit, Assistant Comptroller of Customs Masa'ud Salihu, said that touring key Customs formations and engaging relevant stakeholders were essential to achieving the mission's objectives.
He explained that such engagements would provide first-hand information on existing frameworks, help identify gaps and strengthen measures to prevent illicit financial flows.
“The aim of the mission is to hear from those of us in the field on how best the AML/CFT framework can be strengthened to better detect and disrupt illicit financial flows. It is not a Customs programme alone; it is a programme meant for Nigeria,” he said.
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