Goment Saudi Arabia don release three Nigerians wey dem bin hold for di mata of drug trafficking wen dem go Umrah for August.
Na di National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for Nigeria announce di mata for press conference wey dem do on Wednesday.
Di NDLEA tok tok pesin, Femi Babafemi, explain say di release happen sake of agreement wey dem get wit Saudi goment.
E tok say di pilgrims go soon return back to Nigeria.
“Saudi authorities don release three Nigerian pilgrims wey dem hold for Jeddah since last month afta dem accuse dem say dem dey carry drugs.
“Di three Nigerians wey dem release afta four weeks na Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Bahijja Abdullahi Aminu, and Abdulhamid Saddieq,” Babafemi tok.
E still advise travelers make dem always check dia luggage well well before dem travel to avoid wahala wit drug traffickers.
For August 25, NDLEA bin tok say dem don arrest one “big oga drug trafficker” wit five oda people wey dem suspect say dem plan to use di three Nigerians wey go Umrah as scapegoat.
One week before di arrest, Saudi authorities bin catch di three Nigerians for Jeddah afta dem find drugs for dia luggage.
NDLEA tok say dem start investigation afta di pilgrims’ family report di mata to di NDLEA chairman, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa. Di investigation na im lead dem to di people wey dey behind di mata, wey dey operate for Malam Aminu Kano Airport.
How di mata take happen
NDLEA explain say di mata happen wen di three Nigerians – Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Bahijja Abdullahi Aminu, and Abdulhamid Saddiq – enter Ethiopian Airline from Kano to Jeddah on August 6. Dem no know say six bags wey no be dia own don get dia names, and three of di bags get drugs inside.
“Maryam Hussain Abdullahi carry only one bag wey weigh 9kg, but unfortunately, she no see her bag wen she land. Na one day before dem suppose leave Saudi Arabia, dem tell her husband say dem don see di bag.
“Afta di accusation, dem hold her for Jeddah, and she still dey dia custody,” NDLEA tok.
Di agency tok say dia investigation show say di bags wey get drugs na di handiwork of some criminals for Malam Aminu Kano Airport wey use di pilgrims’ names without dia knowledge.
“Di investigation show say di bags belong to one Ali Abubakar, aka Bello Karama, wey be di leader of di gang wey load di bags for Ethiopian Airline on August 6, di same day di pilgrims travel for Umrah.
“But di funny mata be say di same Ali Abubakar travel wit Egypt Airlines instead of Ethiopian Airline wey carry di bags wey get drugs.”
NDLEA tok say di investigation show say some workers for Skyway cargo company for di airport na dem secretly put di pilgrims’ names for di bags and load dem inside di plane.
“Di bags wey dem put di pilgrims’ names na di ones wey Saudi authorities catch and find drugs inside.”
NDLEA conclude say na di reason dem hold di pilgrims wey no sabi anything. Di agency don arrest six people from di gang, and dem don carry four of dem go court.
For di first investigation, two of di suspects confess say na dem plan di mata afta dem collect N100,000 from Ali Abubakar, wey be di owner of di bags.
