The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 55-year-old drug kingpin, Mohammed Abubakar, alias Bello Karama, and five members of his syndicate operating at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport for planting illicit drugs in the luggage of three unsuspecting Nigerian pilgrims currently detained in Saudi Arabia.
NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday alongside senior officials of the agency. He explained that the suspects were behind the smuggling attempt that implicated three innocent Nigerians — Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs. Abdullahi Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddiq — who were arrested in Jeddah after performing the lesser hajj.
According to NDLEA, the victims boarded Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 from Kano to Jeddah via Addis Ababa on August 6, 2025, but were fraudulently tagged with six additional bags, three of which contained drugs. Investigations traced the bags to Abubakar and his accomplices, who colluded with airport ground handling staff to check them in under the pilgrims’ names without their knowledge.
Six suspects are now in NDLEA custody, with four — including Abubakar — already charged to court. Some confessed to collecting payments of up to ₦100,000 each to check in the illicit bags. The agency confirmed it is in contact with Saudi authorities to secure the release of the detained Nigerians, stressing that they were victims of a criminal conspiracy.
NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), is expected to present the agency’s findings to Saudi narcotics officials during an international drug conference, with assurances that Nigeria will pursue the matter until justice is achieved.
