Nigeria’s anti-narcotics agency has dismantled a drug syndicate operating at Kano’s international airport, after its activities led to the detention of three pilgrims in Saudi Arabia on false trafficking charges.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said a 55-year-old suspected ringleader and five accomplices were arrested at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The group allegedly conspired with airport handling staff to tag illicit drug consignments to the names of unsuspecting travellers.
The scandal came to light after the families of three pilgrims — Maryam Abdullahi, Abdullahi Aminu and Abdulhamid Saddiq — alerted the NDLEA that their relatives had been detained in Jeddah during the lesser hajj. The victims’ checked-in luggage was later found to have been swapped with bags containing narcotics.
According to NDLEA spokesman Femi Babafemi, the leader of the ring admitted to sending seven bags to Jeddah, while others confessed to smuggling additional bags for cash payments. Bank transfers were traced to confirm the arrangement.
The case has strained relations with Saudi authorities, where drug offences carry severe penalties, including death sentences. NDLEA Chairman Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retired) is expected to present the agency’s findings at an international drug conference, with plans to travel to Riyadh if necessary to secure the release of the detainees.
The arrests highlight the vulnerability of Nigerian airports to criminal infiltration and the risks faced by innocent travellers. Authorities say new security measures have been introduced at Kano airport in collaboration with the Ministry of Aviation, FAAN, AVSEC, and the DSS to prevent a repeat incident.
