The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has dismantled a major drug trafficking syndicate believed to have orchestrated the wrongful detention of three Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
At the centre of the bust is a 55-year-old alleged cartel leader, Mohammed Ali Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, who was arrested alongside five members of his network at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano.
NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, who briefed journalists in Abuja yesterday, said the arrests followed weeks of investigation after petitions from families of three Nigerians arrested in Jeddah on suspicion of drug trafficking.
The detained pilgrims – Mrs Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu and Mr Abdulhamid Saddiq – had embarked on pilgrimage trips but were later linked to bags containing narcotics allegedly checked in under their names.
According to NDLEA findings, the syndicate planted the illicit bags on the unsuspecting pilgrims by checking them in at the airport under their travel details, while the cartel leader, Abubakar, boarded a different airline to Jeddah. The drugs were subsequently discovered in Saudi Arabia, leading to the detention of the innocent travellers.
Those arrested in connection with the case include Abdulbasit Adamu, Murtala Akande Olalekan and Celestina Emmanuel Yayock. Four of the suspects have already been charged in court, while investigations continue into the wider network.
Nigeria, Saudi authorities in talks
NDLEA Chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), is expected to meet with a delegation from the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) of Saudi Arabia to present Nigeria’s findings and push for the release of the detained citizens.
“Nigeria will never abandon its citizens, especially when the facts clearly show that they are victims of criminal conspiracies,” Marwa said.
Strengthening airport security
Babafemi added that the operation was carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Aviation Security, and the Department of State Services (DSS).
As part of preventive measures, new security protocols have been introduced at MAKIA to tighten screening processes and reduce the risk of criminal infiltration of passenger luggage.
The case has renewed public debate on airport security lapses and the vulnerability of Nigerian travellers abroad. For the families of those wrongly detained in Saudi Arabia, however, the NDLEA breakthrough offers hope that justice may soon be served.
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