Saudi Arabia Releases Nigerian Woman, Two Others Detained Over Alleged Drug-Related Luggage Mix-Up

Saudi Arabian authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims who were detained for more than five weeks after being wrongly linked to drug trafficking through a luggage mix-up. Among those freed was Maryam Abdullahi Hussaini, a 39-year-old woman from Kano State. She was arrested in Makkah after traveling on 6 August from Kano via Ethiopian Airlines, transiting through Addis Ababa, to perform the lesser Hajj pilgrimage. Two other Nigerians, **Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu** and **Abdulhamid Saddiq**, were also detained in the same case.

The Nigerians were held after Saudi airport officials discovered a large sack of marijuana, tagged with their details, at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. Mrs Hussaini insisted she checked in only one piece of luggage, weighing about nine kilograms, which never arrived in Makkah. Investigations later revealed that a criminal syndicate operating at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Nigeria had fraudulently checked in extra bags in their names.

The network, reportedly led by Ali Abubakar Mohammed, also known as Bello Karama, allegedly conspired with accomplices and some staff of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company to smuggle the drug-laden bags. They secretly tagged the luggage under the names of unsuspecting pilgrims, exposing them to arrest abroad.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) investigated the matter and cleared the three pilgrims. The agency confirmed they were victims of the criminal network and had no knowledge of or connection to the drugs. Following diplomatic intervention and the NDLEA’s report, Saudi authorities released the detainees. Mrs Hussaini was reunited with her family in Kano on Monday.

She expressed gratitude, saying she remained steadfast in her faith during detention and thanked everyone who supported her case. Her husband, Abdullahi Baffa, also praised the NDLEA, the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah, and the federal government for ensuring justice. “We are grateful to God and to all stakeholders who worked tirelessly for her release. It has been a tough time for our family,” he said.