A 55-year-old drug kingpin, Mohammed Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, and five members of his syndicate operating at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, have been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
Their arrest follows the agency’s discovery that they are behind the shipment of illicit substances for which three innocent Nigerians, who went on lesser hajj pilgrimage to the Holy Land, were being detained in Jeddah for alleged drug trafficking.
This was disclosed at a press conference addressed by the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, along with the Director of Assets and Financial Investigation, Abdul Ibrahim, and the Director of Prosecution and Legal Services, Theresa Asuquo, at the NDLEA National Headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
According to NDLEA, an investigation was launched following a formal complaint received by the agency’s Chairman, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Retd), from three Nigerian families. The complaint concerned the detention of their relatives in Saudi Arabia after performing the lesser Hajj, based on allegations of smuggling illicit substances into the Kingdom.
The pilgrims detained in the country, as stated by the agency, are Maryam Abdullahi, Abdullahi Aminu, and Abdulhamid Saddiq, who boarded Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 which departed Kano on 6th August 2025 to Jeddah via Addis Ababa, but were unfortunately tagged with six additional bags not belonging to them, three of which were found to contain illicit drugs.
“Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, while embarking on this flight, checked in only one piece of luggage weighing 9 kilograms on August 6, 2025. However, that luggage did not arrive with her at her destination. Her husband was only informed of the arrival of their luggage on August 16—just one day before their scheduled departure from Jeddah on August 17. Following this development, she was detained in Jeddah and remains in custody. The cases of the other two individuals followed a similar pattern and were reported to the agency shortly after Mrs. Abdullahi’s complaint,” the agency said.
NDLEA explained that the drug-laden bags intercepted in Saudi Arabia were checked in under the complainants’ names by members of a criminal syndicate operating at MAKIA, without the knowledge or consent of the three victims.
“All the bags were traced to one Ali Abubakar Mohammed, also known as Bello Karama, the ringleader of the syndicate. He checked in the bags on August 6, 2025, the same day the complainants traveled via Ethiopian Airlines from Kano to Jeddah through Addis Ababa. Interestingly, while Ali also traveled to Jeddah that day, he boarded a different flight, EgyptAir, and not the Ethiopian Airlines flight on which he planted the bags,” the agency revealed.
NDLEA further stated that the illicit bags were tagged and checked in by staff of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO), who were also members of the syndicate. The bags were fraudulently assigned to the complainants without their knowledge, and these were the same bags later found to contain the drugs in Saudi Arabia.
“As a result, the three Nigerians were arrested and detained for crimes they had no knowledge of. Based on the evidence gathered during our investigation, it is clear that Maryam Abdullahi and the two others are innocent victims, framed by a criminal syndicate operating at the airport,” the agency stated.
So far, six members of the syndicate are in NDLEA custody with four h already been charged to court and are awaiting arraignment, including Ali Abubakar Mohammed (aka Bello Karama), Abdulbasit Adamu, Murtala Akande Olalekan, and Celestina Emmanuel Yayock.
“They have all made confessional statements. Ali admitted to bringing in seven pieces of luggage. Celestina confessed to checking in two of the bags for a fee of ₦100,000. Another suspect, Jazuli Kabir, who also checked in two bags, said he was paid ₦100,000 for the job. Ali himself traveled with the remaining three bags via EgyptAir. We also have evidence of a ₦200,000 transfer from Ali to Celestina, who then transferred ₦100,000 to Jazuli,” Babafemi disclosed.
Based on the investigation’s findings, the agency is now in talks with the General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC) in Saudi Arabia to secure the release of the innocent pilgrims.
“The Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency is currently en route to an international drug conference that will also be attended by representatives of the GDNC. He plans to meet with the Saudi delegation in person to present our findings and seek their cooperation in ensuring that Mrs. Maryam Hussain Abdullahi and the two others still in detention receive the justice they deserve,” Babafemi said.
“If necessary, the CCEO is prepared to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia personally to pursue this case to its conclusion. Nigeria will never abandon its citizens, especially when there is clear evidence that they are victims of criminal conspiracies,” he added.
The agency reaffirmed its commitment to the fight against drug trafficking and substance abuse, while also stressing its resolve not to allow innocent people to suffer unjustly.
“There are no sacred cows in our operations. This is evident in the high-profile arrests, convictions, and asset forfeitures we’ve recorded. However, we will not support or allow the punishment of innocent individuals for crimes they did not commit,” Babafemi emphasized.
He also expressed gratitude to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Aviation Security (AVSEC), and the Department of State Services (DSS) for their cooperation on the case. He noted that interim measures have been approved at MAKIA to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
