Saudi authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims who were wrongfully detained in Jeddah for four weeks over alleged drug trafficking, following high-level diplomatic and security interventions.
The freed pilgrims—Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddieq—were arrested after arriving in Saudi Arabia on an Ethiopian Airline flight from Kano on August 6, 2025, for the lesser hajj.
This was contained in a statement by the NDLEA and shared on its Facebook page on Wednesday.
Their names had been fraudulently tagged to luggage containing illicit drugs by a criminal syndicate operating out of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
Their release followed weeks of engagement between the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd.), and the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC).
Marwa said the breakthrough was made possible by the full backing of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as the support of Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN; and National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
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Investigations by the NDLEA revealed that a syndicate led by 55-year-old Mohammed Ali Abubakar (alias Bello Karama) conspired with airline officials to smuggle drugs, fraudulently linking the innocent pilgrims. Abubakar and three accomplices—Celestina Emmanuel Yayock, Abdulbasit Adamu Sagagi, and Jazuli Kabir—have since been arrested and charged in Nigeria.
One of the detained pilgrims was released on Sunday, September 14, while the other two regained freedom on Monday, September 15, 2025.
Expressing gratitude to Saudi authorities for their cooperation, Marwa said the case reaffirmed Nigeria’s determination to protect its citizens abroad.
“The biggest support came from President Tinubu, who is committed to ensuring that no Nigerian suffers unjustly in any part of the world,” Marwa stated. “This resolution shows that no Nigerian will be punished for crimes they know nothing about.”
The release also underscores the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on counter-narcotics cooperation between the NDLEA and Saudi Arabia’s GDNC.