How Members of Popular Airline Swapped Bags of Innocent Nigerians With Exhibit, NDLEA Reacts
- The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency arrested Mohammed Ali Abubakar, a 55-year-old drug kingpin, and five members of a syndicate, including staff popular aviation company in Nigeria
- Three Nigerians, Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddiq, were detained in Saudi Arabia for alleged drug trafficking
- Investigation by NDLEA revealed how the syndicates swapped the bags of the victim, as the agency is working with Saudi Arabia counterparts to investigate further and secure the freedom of the innocent Nigerians
In a laudable investigation, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 55-year old drug kingpin Mohammed Ali Abubakar popular known as Bello Karama and five members of a syndicate including members of Skyway Aviation Handling Company at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport after investiagtion revealed they masterminded the shipping of illicit substances linked to three innocent Nigerians detained in Jeddah for alleged drug trafficking while on a lesser hajj pilgrimage.
Source: Getty Images
This was disclosed in a statement published on the official website of the NDLEA on Monday, August 25, and signed by the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.
NDLEA received complaints
According to the statement, the agency launched an investigation after NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig Gen Mohamed Buba, received complaints from three Nigerian families whose relatives were detained in Saudi Arabia for alleged drug trafficking after completing a lesser hajj pilgrimage. The agency probed how the syndicate implicated these unsuspecting pilgrims in the allegations.
The statement revealed that three Nigerians, Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs. Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddiq, were detained in Saudi Arabia after extra bags containing illicit drugs were linked to them after boarding an Ethiopian Airline flight ET940 from Kano to Jeddah via Addis-Ababa on August 6, 2025.
Airline staff swapped bags of detained victims
The bags of the victims were allegedly swapped by members of Skyway Aviation Handling Company, who were in charge of checking the luggage of passengers before boarding the plane.
The statement read, “the bags containing illicit drug substances intercepted in Saudi Arabia were checked in against the complainants’ names by members of a criminal syndicate operating in Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport without the knowledge of the three complainants.
“The bags were tagged and checked in by members of staff of Skyway Aviation Handling Company who are also members of the criminal syndicate, to the names of the three complainants secretly and without their knowledge or consent. The bags illegally tagged against the complainants’ names are the ones intercepted in Saudi Arabia and found to contain the illicit drug substances," the statement added
“For the above reasons, the three complainants were arrested and detained for crimes they had no knowledge of. In the light of the forgoing, and the evidence gathered by the Agency in the course of our investigation, it is clear that Mrs. Maryam Abdullahi and two others who are being detained in Saudi are victims of circumstance, implicated by the activities of a criminal syndicate operating at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport,” the statement concluded.
NDLEA to exonerate innocent Nigerians
The agency has taken into custody members of Skyway Aviation Handling Company who confessed to aiding the crime after receiving N100,000 each from Abubakar.
NDLEA has gathered several evidence to seek cooperation from Saudi Arabia counterparts to investigate further into the organised crime and secure the freedom of the innocent Nigerians detained.
Source: Getty Images
NDLEA intercepts drug disguised in fake pregnancy
Legit.ng previously reported that the operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a widow, Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for attempting to traffic 1.3 kilograms of illicit drugs with a fake pregnancy.
A 50-year-old fashion designer was arrested in Lagos while attempting to move the c@caine consignment to customers in Abuja.
The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, stated that Ezewuike is the proprietor of Golden Star Creation, a fashion outfit located on Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos.
Source: Legit.ng
