The Nigerian government has secured the release of three pilgrims detained in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia since last month following their arrest over alleged drug trafficking.
The three Nigerians who were freed by the Saudi Arabia authorities after four weeks in custody include Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddieq.
NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi disclosed at a press conference on Wednesday in Abuja, stating that their freedom followed weeks of relentless engagements by the chairman/chief executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig Gen Mohamed Marwa (rtd) with the leadership of the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) in Saudi Arabia.
Babafemi added that the engagement had the full support of President Bola Tinubu and the assistance of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi.
NDLEA’s spokesperson also revealed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Yusuf Tuggar and his Aviation and Aerospace Development counterpart, Mr. Festus Keyamo as well as the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu also backed the negotiations to free the detained Nigerians.
It would be recalled that 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 an Ethiopian Airline flight ET940 which departed Kano on August 6, 2025 to Jeddah on lesser hajj.
The victims were later arrested in Saudi Arabia for alleged drug trafficking.
Following complaints to the NDLEA chairman by the families of the three victims after the completion of their lesser hajj over allegation of trafficking in illicit substances, an investigation was launched to unravel the incident.
According to the anti-narcotic agency, the probe led to the arrest of 55-year-old drug kingpin Mohammed Ali Abubakar alias Bello Karama and three other members of the syndicate, including the airline officials behind the shipment of the illicit substances for which the three innocent pilgrims were arrested and detained in Jeddah.
Charges had since been filed against Abubakar and other members of the syndicate including Celestina Emmanuel Yayock, Abdulbasit Adamu Sagagi and Jazuli Kabir.
Babafemi revealed that armed with the outcome of NDLEA investigation and charges against members of the syndicate as well as other evidences to prove the innocence of the pilgrims, Marwa engaged with his Saudi Arabian counterpart in compliance with President Tinubu’s agenda that no Nigerian must suffer unjustly in a foreign land.
Following the series of engagements, one of the three Nigerians was released from custody on Sunday 14th September and the remaining two on Monday 15th September, 2025.
Expressing happiness over the development, Gen. Marwa commended his counterpart at the Saudi GDNC for upholding the essence of the Memorandum of Understanding between the 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,” he said.
Marwa commended the assistance provided by the Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Fagbemi; Amb. Tuggar and Keyamo, as well as the NSA, Mallam Ribadu, “who were with us all the way on the matter.”
