In a significant stride against international drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has announced the dismantling of a syndicate that sponsored Hajj pilgrims to act as couriers for transporting cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
The operation, driven by credible intelligence, led to the arrest of three alleged kingpins: Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba.
Their arrests occurred on Tuesday, May 27, and Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Kano, following the detention of two suspected pilgrim-couriers at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.
The two initial detainees, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, were apprehended on Monday, May 26, 2025, as they attempted to board Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 940 to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, at the agency’s final screening point in Kano.
Mr. Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, confirmed these developments in a statement issued and given to Persecondnews on Sunday, June 1, 2025, from Abuja.
The statement reads: “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 unravelled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specialises in trafficking illicit drugs to Saudi Arabia.
“A swift follow-up operation was carried out, and the trio – Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba – were arrested on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, and Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Kano.”
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at Kano airport on Wednesday, May 28, intercepted a 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR 1432 to Iran.
His body scan confirmed ingestion of illicit substances, as a result of which he was placed on excretion observation, during which he excreted 65 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.41kg
At the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, at least seven high-risk containers were subject to joint examination by NDLEA officers, Customs Service personnel, and other security agencies from Wednesday, May 28 to Friday, May 30.
During the operation, 825,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup and tramadol worth N5.776 billion were seized, while 5,100,000 opioid pills, specifically tapentadol 225mg, valued at N3.570 billion, were recovered. The total street value of the seized substances amounted to N9.346 billion.
The statement further reads: “In another operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Kano-Maiduguri road on Friday, May 30, intercepted two suspects, Abubakar Hussein, 42, and Sahabi Adamu, 53, with $900,000 in cash suspected to be counterfeit. The suspects and the exhibit will be transferred to the appropriate agency for further investigation.
“Meanwhile, on Tuesday, May 27, NDLEA operatives recovered 390 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 275.300kg, from a parked Toyota Sienna vehicle marked YLA-408GG along Ngurore-Yola road in Adamawa State.
“In a separate operation, NDLEA operatives in Kwara arrested a notorious female drug dealer, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai, at Oja Oba area of Ilorin on Saturday, May 31. Various quantities of opioids, including tramadol, flunitrazepam, and codeine-based syrup, were seized from her.”
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands continued nationwide over the past week.
Some highlights include WADA sensitization lectures delivered to students and staff at Government Day Senior Secondary School, Kwasarawa, Katsina; Corpus Christi College, Achi, Enugu; Epignosis Standard College, Onitsha, Anambra; Government Girls Secondary School, Utai, Wudil Local Government Area, Kano; and Government Girls Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River, among others.
The Chairman/CEO of NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended officers and men of MAKIA, PHPC, Kano, Kwara, and Adamawa Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week.
He also praised their counterparts in all commands nationwide for striking a balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
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