Saudi authorities free 3 Nigerian pilgrims arrested for alleged drug trafficking

Saudi Arabia authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims who were detained in Jeddah, since last month following their arrest over alleged drug trafficking.

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.

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 had since been filed against Mohammed Ali Abubakar and other members of the syndicate: Celestina Emmanuel Yayock; Abdulbasit Adamu Sagagi and Jazuli Kabir.