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Three Nigerians are currently being held in Saudi Arabia for drug trafficking, and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has arrested a 55-year-old drug lord, Mohammed Ali Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, and five members of his syndicate.

The suspects, according to the DSS, checked in bags containing illegal narcotics on August 6, 2025, in the names of three unwary pilgrims going to Jeddah for the lesser hajj at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, MAKIA, Kano.

This was revealed by the NDLEA on Monday during a press conference in Abuja, which was attended by Femi Babafemi, the agency’s director of advocacy and media, Dr. Abdul Ibrahim, the director of assets and financial investigation, and Theresa Asuquo, the director of prosecution and legal services.

After landing on Ethiopian Airline flight ET940, the three victims—Mr. Abdulhamid Saddiq, Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, and Mrs. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu—were taken into custody in Jeddah.

According to NDLEA investigations, syndicate members conspired with aircraft handling personnel to tag additional bags containing drugs to their identities without the subjects’ knowledge.

Babafemi claims that Abubakar, the brains of the scheme, flew to Jeddah on Egypt Air the same day while his colleagues checked in seven suitcases bearing the victims’ names.

Celestina Emmanuel Yayock, one of the suspects, acknowledged paying N100,000 to check in two of the bags, while Jazuli Kabir acknowledged handling two more for the same sum.

Four of the six suspects—Abubakar, Abdulbasit Adamu, Murtala Akande Olalekan, and Yayock—have previously been charged in court and are presently in the custody of the NDLEA.

According to Babafemi, the organization is working with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control in Saudi Arabia to ensure the three Nigerians’ release.

He also mentioned that Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd.), the chairman of the NDLEA, is ready to visit Saudi Arabia if needed and will meet with GDNC officials at an international drug conference.

“The facts clearly show that these Nigerians are victims of criminal conspiracies, and we will not allow them to suffer unjustly,” Babafemi said.

He promised that innocent citizens would not be left behind as the NDLEA continues its commitment to fighting drug trafficking.

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