Saudi authorities free three Nigerian pilgrims arrested for drug trafficking

Saudi Arabian authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims who had been detained in Jeddah since last month following their arrest over alleged drug trafficking.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Director of Media and Advocacy of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. Femi Babafemi, said the three Nigerians, who were freed after four weeks in custody, are Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Abdulhamid Saddieq.

He explained that their release followed weeks of relentless engagements by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Agency, Brig-Gen Mohamed Marwa (rtd), with the leadership of the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) in Saudi Arabia. The efforts, he added, were supported by President Bola Tinubu and the assistance of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN; as well as the National Security Adviser (NSA), 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 Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940, which departed Kano on 6th August 2025 to Jeddah for lesser hajj. They were later arrested in Saudi Arabia for alleged drug trafficking.

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Following complaints by the families of the three victims to the NDLEA boss over their detention after completing the lesser hajj, Babafemi said an investigation was launched to unravel what happened.

The probe, he noted, led to the arrest of a 55-year-old drug kingpin, Mohammed Ali Abubakar, alias Bello Karama, and three other members of the syndicate, including airline officials behind the shipment of the illicit substances that caused the wrongful arrest of the three innocent pilgrims in Jeddah.

According to the NDLEA spokesman, 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,” he said.

Following the series of engagements, Babafemi said one of the three Nigerians was released from custody on Sunday, 14th September, while the remaining two were freed on Monday, 15th September 2025.

Expressing happiness over the development, Babafemi said the NDLEA boss 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 Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, as well as the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who were with us all the way on the matter,” Babafemi said.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE