Relief came the way of three Nigerian pilgrims on Monday as Saudi Arabian authorities freed them after weeks in detention over allegations of drug trafficking.
The pilgrims – Mrs Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu and Mr Abdulhamid Saddieq – were arrested in Jeddah last month after their names were linked to bags containing illicit substances.
The Director of Media and Advocacy of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Mr Femi Babafemi, confirmed their release at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said the development followed sustained diplomatic engagements between the NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), and his Saudi counterpart at the General Directorate of Narcotics Control.
According to Babafemi, the intervention was supported by President Bola Tinubu, alongside the Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo (SAN); and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Investigations by the NDLEA revealed that a syndicate operating at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, was responsible for the incident. The group allegedly tagged drug-laden bags to the unsuspecting pilgrims who travelled aboard Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 on August 6 for the lesser hajj.
The agency disclosed that the mastermind, Mohammed Ali Abubakar, alias Bello Karama, and other accomplices, including airline officials, had since been arrested and charged to court.
Babafemi noted that one of the victims was released on Sunday, while the other two regained freedom on Monday.
“The greatest support for our efforts in this case came from President Tinubu, who is committed to ensuring that every Nigerian receives due respect and fair treatment wherever they are in the world,” Babafemi said.
The NDLEA boss, Marwa, commended the Saudi authorities for upholding the spirit of cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding signed between both countries.
