In a significant crackdown, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested several staff members of the Nigerian Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) operating at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The detained officials are implicated in a sophisticated plot to plant narcotics in the luggage of unsuspecting Hajj pilgrims travelling to Saudi Arabia. The illicit scheme resulted in the wrongful arrest and detention of three Nigerians in Jeddah for crimes they were not involved in.
Investigations revealed that on August 6, 2025, six bags containing illegal drugs were clandestinely tagged under the names of three pilgrims—Maryam Abdullahi, Abdullahi Aminu, and Abdulhamid Saddiq—who flew to Jeddah via Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 from Kano. One of the masterminds, 55-year-old Mohammed Ali Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, personally checked in all seven bags under false identities and travelled separately on a different airline.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi disclosed during a press briefing in Abuja that four of the six suspects, including Abubakar, airline ground handler Celestina Yayock, Abdulbasit Adamu, and Murtala Akande Olalekan, have been charged in court. Confessions have already been recorded; Celestina admitted to checking in two bags for a fee of ₦100,000, and another handler, Jazuli Kabir, confessed to taking payment for the same illicit act. The agency has launched diplomatic engagement with Saudi authorities to secure the release of the innocent pilgrims.
This incident underscores a disturbing trend of “blind mule” smuggling, where innocent travel passengers are unwittingly used to transport illegal substances. The NDLEA, chaired by Retired Brigadier General Buba Marwa, affirmed its commitment to intensify airport surveillance, prosecute corrupt insiders, and uphold the rights of innocent citizens. As Marwa attends an international drug policy conference, Nigeria continues discussions with Saudi officials to rectify this miscarriage of justice.
