Saudi Arabian authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims who were detained in Jeddah for four weeks following their arrest on allegations of drug trafficking.
Their release came after weeks of high-level engagements between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd), and the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) in Saudi Arabia.
According to NDLEA, the three Nigerians were victims of a criminal syndicate operating at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano. The syndicate allegedly tagged bags containing illicit drugs with the pilgrims’ names before their departure on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 to Jeddah on August 6, 2025, for lesser hajj.
The pilgrims were subsequently arrested in Jeddah. However, following investigations launched by NDLEA after complaints from their families, authorities arrested 55-year-old drug kingpin Mohammed Ali Abubakar, alias Bello Karama, along with three accomplices; Celestina Emmanuel Yayock, Abdulbasit Adamu Sagagi, and Jazuli Kabir, including airline officials linked to the crime. Charges have since been filed against the suspects.
Expressing gratitude for the outcome, Gen. Marwa commended Saudi authorities for honoring the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between NDLEA and GDNC. He attributed the breakthrough to strong political will and inter-agency support from Nigeria.
