Drug Kingpin and Syndicate Members Arrested in Connection with Nigerian Pilgrims Detained in Saudi Arabia
A 55-year-old drug kingpin, identified as Mohammed Ali Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, and five other members of a criminal syndicate have been taken into custody by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following their alleged involvement in the trafficking of illicit substances. The arrest came after three Nigerian pilgrims were detained in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for alleged drug-related offenses.
The NDLEA confirmed that the three individuals—Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddiq—were unwittingly implicated in drug trafficking due to the actions of the syndicate. These pilgrims had traveled to Saudi Arabia on a lesser hajj pilgrimage and were detained upon arrival, accused of smuggling drugs into the country.
At a press conference held at the NDLEA headquarters in Abuja on August 25, 2025, officials from the agency provided details about the case. The event was attended by Femi Babafemi, Director of Media and Advocacy; Dr. Abdul Ibrahim, Director of Assets and Financial Investigation; and Theresa Asuquo, Director of Prosecution and Legal Services.
How the Pilgrims Were Implicated
According to the NDLEA, the three pilgrims boarded an Ethiopian Airline flight ET940 from Kano on August 6, 2025, heading to Jeddah via Addis-Ababa. During the journey, they were unknowingly associated with six additional bags that were not theirs. Three of these bags were found to contain illicit drugs.
Maryam Hussain Abdullahi only checked in one bag weighing 9 kilograms, which did not arrive with her at her destination. Her husband was informed of the luggage’s arrival on August 16, just a day before their scheduled departure from Jeddah on August 17. She was subsequently detained in Jeddah and remains in custody.
The other two pilgrims faced similar situations, and their cases were reported to the NDLEA shortly after Maryam’s complaint.
The Role of the Criminal Syndicate
The investigation revealed that the bags containing the illicit drugs were checked in under the names of the three victims by members of the criminal syndicate operating at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA). These bags were traced back to Bello Karama, who allegedly checked them into the Ethiopian Airline on the same day the pilgrims traveled.
Interestingly, Bello Karama himself traveled to Jeddah on the same date but used Egypt Air instead of Ethiopian Airline. The bags were tagged and checked in by staff from Skyway Aviation Handling Company, who are also part of the syndicate. They did so without the knowledge or consent of the pilgrims.
Charges and Confessions
Six members of the syndicate have been arrested, with four already charged in court. These include Bello Karama, Abdulbasit Adamu, Murtala Akande Olalekan, and Celestina Emmanuel Yayock. All have made confessional statements.
Bello Karama admitted to bringing in seven pieces of luggage, while Celestina confessed to checking in two of them for a fee of N100,000. Another suspect, Jazuli Kabir, who checked in two other bags, admitted to receiving N100,000 for his role. The money transfers between the suspects have been documented, including a N200,000 transfer from Bello Karama to Celestina, who then transferred N100,000 to Jazuli.
Seeking Justice for the Innocent
The NDLEA is currently engaging with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) in Saudi Arabia to ensure the innocence of the three detained pilgrims. The agency’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), is set to attend an international drug conference where he will meet with Saudi officials to present the findings and seek their cooperation in exonerating the victims.
The agency has also expressed its commitment to ensuring that innocent individuals are not punished for crimes they did not commit. It emphasized that it will continue to take action against drug trafficking while protecting the rights of those who are wrongly accused.
Continued Efforts and Collaboration
In addition to the ongoing investigations, the NDLEA thanked various stakeholders for their collaboration, including the Honorable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Managing Director of FAAN, AVSEC, and the DSS. Measures have been implemented at MAKIA to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The agency reaffirmed its dedication to combating substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria, stating that no one is above the law, but neither should the innocent be wrongfully targeted.
