A civic group, Hope Builders Nigeria, has called the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to launch a full-scale investigation into the alleged interception of 15 suitcases containing gold bars valued at about ₦4 billion at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport.
Recall that it had earlier be reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has intercepted the gold bars. The consignment was being loaded onto an Ethiopian Airlines flight bound for Saudi Arabia when it was seized. Three suspects were arrested during the operation, including Aliyu Baffa, a serving airport security officer, and two accomplices.
According to EFCC sources and airport security officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, the suspects voluntarily confessed that the gold was being smuggled out of the country on the instruction of Senator Abdul Aziz Yari Abubakar, former Governor of Zamfara State. The suspects further alleged that they are part of a cartel involved in illegal mining operations across Zamfara, Kaduna, and Kebbi States, which they claim is controlled by Senator Yari.
The group’s General Secretary, Sabi’u Ibrahim Kano, in a statement on Monday, insisted that the circumstances surrounding the seizure must not be treated with levity or allowed to fade into silence. He said Nigerians deserved a transparent and thorough probe into all financial and operational links connected to the incident.
It warned that failure to act decisively would further erode public confidence in anti-corruption efforts and deepen suspicions of selective justice. “The Nigerian people deserve facts, not rumours, and justice, not selective accountability”, the group stated.
Hope Builders urged the EFCC to examine financial records, communication trails, and any business dealings tied to the intercepted consignment, stressing that no individual or institution should be shielded. The group also called on security agencies to resist any form of interference, insisting that the matter must be handled strictly based on evidence.
It further argued that corruption continues to weaken national development, depriving citizens of essential infrastructure and services. “If there is evidence, let it be presented. If there is innocence, let it be established,” the organisation added. Hope Builders maintained that only a credible and impartial investigation would reassure Nigerians that the fight against corruption remains alive and fair.
The EFCC, according to reports, had confirmed that the seized gold remains in its custody, and that investigations are ongoing.
