The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a notorious drug kingpin, Mohammed Ali Abubakar, and five members of his syndicate for masterminding a drug trafficking plot at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano.
Abubakar, alias Bello Karama, managed these operations, which led to the wrongful detention of three Nigerian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
According to NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the suspects planted luggage filled with drugs on Mrs Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr Abdulhamid Saddiq, who were on a lesser hajj pilgrimage and boarded an Ethiopian Airline flight ET940 from Kano to Jeddah via Addis Ababa on 6 August, were not aware that six extra bags with three containing illicit drugs had been checked in under their names.
Investigations revealed that the syndicate leader, Abubakar, smuggled the bags into the Ethiopian Airline flight but personally travelled on Egypt Air.
Some staff of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) were also implicated for illicitly tagging the bags to the pilgrims without their consent. Four suspects, including Abubakar, have been charged to court after admitting to these illicit acts.
Babafemi disclosed that NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), will engage Saudi authorities at an international drug conference to secure the release of the three innocent Nigerians, assuring that the agency is prepared to escalate the matter if necessary.
The NDLEA commended the Ministry of Aviation, FAAN, AVSEC, and the DSS for their support and confirmed that interim security measures have been introduced at MAKIA to prevent such incidents in the future.
The agency stressed that while it remains committed to its anti-drug war, it will not allow innocent citizens to be punished for crimes they did not commit.
