NDLEA arrests 3 kingpins sponsoring pilgrims with cocaine to hajj, seizes N9.3bn drugs in Rivers

The operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested three persons for allegedly sponsoring hajj pilgrims to move cocaine to Saudi Arabia during pilgrimage.

The NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this via a statement issued on Sunday, June 1, 2025.

Babafemi identified the kingpins as Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba.

Babafemi noted that the arrest of the suspects in Kano on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 28, was a follow-up to the arrest of two pilgrims, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano on Monday, May 26, while travelling to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

He stated that an investigation revealed that the pilgrims’ sponsors were leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specialises in trafficking illicit drugs to Saudi Arabia.

NDLEA nabs 2 Saudi-bound pilgrims, businessman for ingesting 155 wraps of cocaine

The NDLEA spokesman said a swift follow-up operation was carried out, and the trio of Muhammad, Tijjani, and Shugaba were arrested in Kano.

Babafemi disclosed that seven watch-listed containers positioned for an examination at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Onne, Rivers State, were intercepted with 825,200 bottles of codeine based syrup and trodol worth N5,776,400,000, as well as 5,100,000 pills of opioids, especially tapentadol 225mg, worth N3,570,000,000.

According to him, this brings the combined street value of the seized opioids to N9,346,400,000.

Commending the officers of the anti-drug agency for the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), equally lauded them for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.

The Star