Bundles of banknotes seized at Nigeria’s Kaduna airport

Large sacks containing bundles of “crispy” banknotes worth a total of $155,000 (£130,000) have been seized at a Nigerian airport, officials say.

The cash, in the local naira currency, was found near Kaduna airport’s check-in and was still in sealed packs.

An investigation is under way to trace the source of the cash, a spokesman for Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says.

Tackling corruption was a key election pledge for President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Operatives [of the EFCC] intercepted a sum of 49m naira in five large black 150kg… sacks following a tip off,” the EFCC said on its website.

It added that investigations are “in top gear” to find the “culprits behind the attempted illegal movement of the cash”.

EFCC spokesman Ibrahim Bappah said the cash haul, made up of “crispy naira notes”, was discovered on Tuesday when airport security detected a distinctive aroma during a routine screening.

It is not known where the cash were being sent, and the EFCC has said it is looking into whether the money is linked to any crime.

Source: BBC