The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a drug kingpin, Mohammed Ali Abubakar, aka Bello Karama, and five members of his gang over the arrest of three Nigerians presently cooling their heels in detention in Saudi Arabia, for trafficking banned substances
The agency said the suspects, who carried out their operations at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano, checked in bags containing illicit substances in the names of three unsuspecting pilgrims travelling to Jeddah for lesser hajj on August 6, 2025.
Disclosing this on Monday at a news conference in Abuja addressed by its Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, alongside the Director of Assets and Financial Investigation, Dr. Abdul Ibrahim, and the Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, Theresa Asuquo, the NDLEA said the three victims, Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddiq, were arrested in Jeddah after arriving on Ethiopian Airline flight ET940.
NDLEA findings showed that additional bags containing drugs were tagged to their names without their knowledge by members of the syndicate in collusion with aviation handling staff.
Babafemi stated that Abubakar, 55, the mastermind of the operation, travelled to Jeddah the same day on Egypt Air, while his associates checked in seven bags under the names of the victims.
A suspect, Celestina Emmanuel Yayock, confessed to checking in two of the bags for a fee of N100,000, while Jazuli Kabir, admitted to handling two others for the same amount.
Six suspects are in NDLEA custody, with four already charged to court, including Abubakar, Abdulbasit Adamu, Murtala Akande Olalekan, and Yayock.
Babafemi said the anti-drug agency has started engagement talks with Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control in order to secure the release of the three Nigerians.
He further said that NDLEA Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), will have a meeting with GDNC officials during an international drug conference and is prepared to travel to Saudi Arabia if necessary.
“The facts clearly show that these Nigerians are victims of criminal conspiracies, and we will not allow them to suffer unjustly,” said Babafemi.
