The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a notorious drug cartel that exploited Hajj pilgrimages as cover to traffic cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
The agency confirmed the arrest of key members of the syndicate in Kano, following the earlier interception of two pilgrims attempting to smuggle drugs out of the country.
The suspects — Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba — were apprehended on May 27 and 28, 2025, in a follow-up operation after NDLEA operatives at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport arrested two men during the outbound clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah.
The would-be traffickers, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, were caught on May 26. Based on intelligence, they were subjected to a scan that confirmed ingestion of illicit substances. During observation, each of them excreted 45 wraps of cocaine, totaling 90 pellets weighing 1.04kg.
Further investigation led to the swift arrest of the cartel leaders believed to be behind the operation, described by officials as a high-profile drug trafficking network targeting international pilgrimage routes.
In a related operation at the same airport, NDLEA agents intercepted a 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, on May 28. Okigbo, booked on a Qatar Airways flight to Iran, tested positive for drug ingestion and subsequently excreted 65 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.41kg.
The crackdown continued in Rivers State, where NDLEA officers at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, in conjunction with Customs and other security agencies, examined seven watch-listed containers between May 28 and 30. The search uncovered 825,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup and trodol, with an estimated street value of ₦5.77 billion.
Additionally, 5.1 million pills of opioids — mainly Tapentadol 225mg — were seized, valued at ₦3.57 billion. Together, the intercepted drugs are worth over ₦9.3 billion.
Meanwhile, operatives on patrol along the Kano-Maiduguri Road on May 30 intercepted two suspects — Abubakar Hussein (42) and Sahabi Adamu (53) — with $900,000 in counterfeit U.S. currency. NDLEA said the suspects and the seized fake notes would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.
In another major drug bust, 390 compressed blocks of cannabis (skunk) weighing over 275kg were recovered from an abandoned Toyota Sienna van along the Ngurore-Yola Road in Adamawa State on May 27.
Also in Ilorin, Kwara State, NDLEA officers arrested a well-known female drug dealer, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai, in the Oja Oba area on May 31. Various quantities of tramadol, flunitrazepam, and codeine syrup were recovered from her during the raid.
Beyond enforcement, the agency also continued its public advocacy drive through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, with sensitization lectures held in schools across Katsina, Enugu, Anambra, Kano, and Cross River States.
While commending his officers, the NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), praised their efforts nationwide, noting: “The arrests and seizures of the past week show our resolve to balance drug supply reduction with drug demand reduction. I commend the dedication of our teams across all the commands involved.”
The agency says it remains committed to intensifying its crackdown on drug trafficking while promoting awareness and education to curb demand for illicit substances.
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