Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Saudi Arabian authorities have freed three Nigerian pilgrims detained for a month in Jeddah over false drug trafficking allegations, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed on Wednesday.
The detainees — Mrs Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr Abdulhamid Saddieq — were released after weeks of high-level intervention led by NDLEA Chairman Buba Marwa, with support from President Bola Tinubu, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Attorney General’s office.
Investigations revealed the pilgrims were victims of a drug syndicate at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, which tagged illicit drug consignments to their names before they boarded an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah on 6 August.
The NDLEA probe led to the arrest of 55-year-old kingpin Mohammed Ali Abubakar, alias Bello Karama, and three accomplices, including airline staff.
“Their release followed sustained engagement with Saudi authorities backed by evidence proving their innocence,” NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi told journalists at a briefing in Abuja.
Marwa praised Saudi counterparts for upholding their cooperation agreement, while thanking President Tinubu for insisting “no Nigerian should suffer unjustly abroad.”
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