The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has three drugs barons that sponsors hajj pilgrims who also serve as couriers to move cocaine to Saudi Arabia during pilgrimage.
The agency also arrested two pilgrims with cocaine on their way to Saudi Arabia for Hajj, a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi revealed on Sunday.
The arrest of the kingpins: Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano, was a follow-up to the arrest of two pilgrims: Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano on Monday 26th May during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airline flight ET 940 to Jedda, Saudi Arabia.
The interdiction of the intending pilgrims at the NDLEA final screening point at the Kano airport was based on credible intelligence.
When they were taken for scanning, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances. They were subsequently placed on excretion observation during which they excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, bringing the total for both to 90 pellets with a total weight of 1.04kg.
Investigation soon unraveled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specializes in trafficking illicit drugs to Saudi Arabia.
A swift follow-up operation was carried out, and the trio of Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba were arrested on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at the Kano airport on Wednesday 28th May intercepted a 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Leonard Okigbo during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1432 to Iran.
His body scan confirmed he ingested illicit substances as a result of which he was placed on excretion observation during which he excreted 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg.
