The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says Saudi Arabian authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims who were detained in Jeddah for over a month on allegations of drug trafficking.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the release in a statement on Wednesday, naming the freed pilgrims as Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Abdulhamid Saddieq.
According to Babafemi, their freedom followed weeks of high-level diplomatic engagements led by Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman with the full support of President Bola Tinubu and assistance from Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, Festus Keyamo, aviation minister and Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA).
Babafemi explained that a drug syndicate operating at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) tagged bags of illicit drugs with the names of the unsuspecting pilgrims, who travelled on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 from Kano to Jeddah on August 6, 2025, for the lesser hajj.
Following their arrival, Saudi authorities arrested the three Nigerians for alleged drug trafficking and held them in custody for four weeks.
The NDLEA launched an immediate investigation after receiving complaints from the victims’ families, leading to the arrest of the syndicate’s 55-year-old kingpin, Mohammed Ali Abubakar (alias Bello Karama), along with three accomplices, including airline officials: Celestina Emmanuel Yayock, Abdulbasit Adamu Sagagi, and Jazuli Kabir.
Charges have since been filed against the suspects in Nigeria.
“Armed with the investigation findings and evidence proving the pilgrims’ innocence, Gen. Marwa engaged Saudi authorities at multiple levels, including in Riyadh and Jeddah, to secure their release,” Babafemi said.
One of the pilgrims was released on Sunday, September 14, and the remaining two on Monday, September 15, 2025.
Marwa commended the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) for honouring the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the NDLEA.
“The biggest support came from President Tinubu, who is committed to ensuring that every Nigerian gets fair treatment across the world,” Marwa said. “No Nigerian should suffer unjustly for crimes they know nothing about.”
