Wednesday, September 17, 2025 - Saudi Arabian authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims who were detained in Jeddah, since last month following their arrest over alleged drug trafficking
Speaking at a press conference today, the spokesperson of
the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said the three
Nigerians who were freed from detention after four weeks in custody include
Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi; Mrs. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu; and Mr. Abdulhamid
Saddieq.
‘’Their
freedom came following weeks of relentless engagements by the Chairman/Chief
Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Brig Gen
Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) with the leadership of the General Directorate of
Narcotics Control (GDNC) in Saudi Arabia with the full support of President
Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the assistance of the Hon Attorney General of the
Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; the Hon.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Yusuf Tuggar and the Hon. Minister of Aviation
and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN, as well as the National
Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
A syndicate
operating at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) Kano had
tagged bags containing illicit drugs with the names of the three unsuspecting
Nigerians who travelled on an Ethiopian Airline flight ET940 which departed
Kano on 6th August 2025 to Jeddah on lesser hajj. They were later arrested in
Saudi for alleged drug trafficking.'' he said
Babafemi stated that following complaints to the NDLEA boss
by families of the three victims over the detention of their family members in
Saudi Arabia after the completion of their lesser hajj on an allegation of
trafficking in illicit substances, an investigation was launched to unravel
what happened. The probe led to the arrest of 55-year-old drug kingpin Mohammed
Ali Abubakar alias Bello Karama and three other members of the syndicate
including the airline officials behind the shipment of the illicit substances
for which the three innocent pilgrims were arrested and detained in Jeddah.
Charges have since been filed against Mohammed Ali Abubakar and other members
of the syndicate: Celestina Emmanuel Yayock; Abdulbasit Adamu Sagagi and Jazuli
Kabir.
Armed with the outcome of NDLEA investigation and charges
filed against members of the syndicate as well as other evidences to prove the
innocence of the three Nigerian pilgrims, Marwa engaged with his Saudi
counterpart at multiple levels and different locations including Saudi Arabia
in compliance with President Tinubu’s agenda that no Nigerian suffers unjustly
in a foreign land.
Following the series of engagements one of the three
Nigerians was released from custody on Sunday 14th September and the remaining
two on Monday 15th September 2025.
Expressing happiness over the development, Marwa commended
his counterpart at the Saudi GDNC for upholding the essence of the Memorandum
of Understanding between NDLEA and GDNC on collaboration and partnership.
“The biggest
support of our effort on this case came from President Tinubu who is committed
to ensuring that every Nigerian gets their deserved respect and fair treatment
wherever they are across the world. And that is what has come to play in this
case, that no Nigerian is unjustly punished for crimes they know nothing about
anywhere in the world. We equally appreciate the assistance provided by the
Hon. Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef
Fagbemi, SAN; the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs Amb. Yusuf Tuggar and the
Hon. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo SAN, as
well as the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who were with us all
the way on the matter.” he said
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