ARTICLE:
A major anti-smuggling operation at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport has exposed a ₦4.4 billion raw gold seizure allegedly belonging to former Governor of Yari of Zamfara State.
The consignment allegedly being moved out of Nigeria illegally, with operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission making a key arrest as investigations widen.
According to our sources the EFCC’s Kano Zonal Directorate intercepted 22.2 kilograms of raw gold and arrested Anas Baffa, a security officer with the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency. He was allegedly caught concealing the gold in his trousers to bypass airport security before passing it to passengers preparing for international travel.
The seizure has triggered fresh scrutiny of illegal gold smuggling and unlawful mining operations across northern Nigeria. The Coalition for Accountability and National Development, a civil society organization, has called on security agencies to deepen investigations. The group’s director, Ibrahim Musa, urged authorities to probe several prominent individuals in connection with the incident, including Senator Abdulaziz Yari, former Governor of Zamfara State. Musa argued that illegal gold smuggling deprives government of critical revenue and worsens security challenges in affected regions.
The EFCC has not officially named Senator Yari as a suspect in the ongoing investigation, nor has it issued any statement confirming the allegations raised by CAND. As of press time, no formal link has been established between the senator and the seized consignment.
The case has generated additional commentary online. In a TikTok video, social commentator Junaidu Aminu claimed investigators were examining an Ethiopian Airlines aircraft at Kano airport where 15 boxes with concealed manifests were reportedly discovered. He alleged that illegal mining activities are linked to kidnapping and banditry in parts of Northern Nigeria, particularly Zamfara State.
Separately, an advocacy group in Sokoto known as “Mai Kare Talakawa” has also raised questions about the source of Senator Yari’s wealth. The group cited Yari’s company, MA’AM Energy Limited, which acquired a 95 percent stake in Geregu Power Plc from businessman Femi Otedola in December 2025 in a transaction estimated at about ₦1.08 trillion. Authorities have not connected that business transaction to the current gold-smuggling investigation, and Senator Yari has not publicly responded to the allegations from the various groups and commentators.
The development adds to ongoing concerns about illicit mineral trading and its impact on national security and government revenue as anti-graft agencies continue their probe.
