ABUJA, Nigeria (Chatnewstv.com) — Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency said Monday it has arrested a drug kingpin and five members of his syndicate in connection with a scheme that left three Nigerian pilgrims detained in Saudi Arabia on drug trafficking charges.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said its investigation uncovered that the pilgrims — two women and a man — were victims of a criminal conspiracy at Kano’s Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, where illicit drug-laden bags were secretly tagged to their names before they boarded a flight to Jeddah earlier this month.
“Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi and two others who are being detained in Saudi are victims of circumstance, implicated by the activities of a criminal syndicate operating at the airport,” NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi told reporters in Abuja.
The agency named the syndicate’s leader as 55-year-old Mohammed Ali Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama. He and five accomplices are in NDLEA custody, with four already charged in court. Officials said some members of the group worked with the Skyway Aviation Handling Company, which tagged the bags containing drugs to the unsuspecting pilgrims.
According to investigators, Abdullahi boarded Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET940 from Kano to Jeddah on August 6 with only one bag weighing 9 kilograms, which was delayed. She and two other Nigerians later discovered that additional bags — three of which contained drugs — had been checked in under their names without their knowledge. Saudi authorities arrested the trio upon arrival, and they remain in detention.
NDLEA said Abubakar admitted checking in seven bags, while an accomplice, Celestina Emmanuel Yayock, confessed to handling two of the bags for a fee of 100,000 naira ($70). Another suspect, Jazuli Kabir, also admitted receiving the same amount for two bags. “We have the receipts for the transfer of 200,000 naira from Ali to Celestina, who in turn transferred 100,000 to Jazuli,” Babafemi said.
The agency said its chairman, retired Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, will meet Saudi officials during an international drug conference to push for the release of the detained pilgrims. “Nigeria will never abandon its citizens, especially when the facts clearly show that they are victims of criminal conspiracies,” Babafemi said.
NDLEA praised Nigerian aviation and security agencies for supporting the probe and said interim measures have been put in place at Kano airport to prevent similar incidents.
