The case centres on Aminu’s arrest by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in December 2012 at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport while he was preparing to travel to Cairo, Egypt.
Authorities said he declared 10,000 dollars to the Nigeria Customs Service but was later found with an extra 40,000 dollars that was not disclosed.
He was charged before the Federal High Court in Kano for false declaration of foreign currency under the Money Laundering Prohibition Act. In July 2015, the trial court found him guilty and ordered the forfeiture of 25 percent of the undeclared amount to the federal government.
Aminu challenged the verdict at the Court of Appeal in Kaduna, asking that both the conviction and forfeiture order be overturned. However, in December 2015, the appellate court dismissed his case and upheld the ruling of the trial court.
Still dissatisfied, Aminu took the matter to the Supreme Court, seeking to void the earlier judgements. After hearing arguments from both sides and adopting their written submissions, the apex court reserved its decision and fixed Friday, January 16, 2026, to rule on the appeal.
