The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has uncovered a drug trafficking network that disguised its operations as religious pilgrimage sponsorship. Acting on intelligence, the agency arrested three major players in Kano who were allegedly behind an attempt to smuggle cocaine to Saudi Arabia.
The suspects—Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba—were picked up on May 27 and 28, 2025, shortly after two Hajj-bound individuals were caught trying to board a flight at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport. The pair, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, had ingested a total of 90 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.04kg. Both were intercepted during routine body scans before boarding Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 940 to Jeddah.
Their arrest led to further investigations and the capture of the cartel leaders. In another incident at the same airport, NDLEA officers detained a 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, on May 28 while preparing to fly to Iran. He had ingested 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg and was apprehended while boarding Qatar Airways flight QR1432.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Port Complex, working in collaboration with Customs and other agencies, intercepted seven containers between May 28 and 30. These held over 825,000 bottles of codeine-based syrup and Trodol, worth ₦5.78 billion, along with 5.1 million tapentadol pills valued at ₦3.57 billion. Combined, the seized opioids have a street value of ₦9.35 billion.
On May 30, two suspects—Abubakar Hussein (42) and Sahabi Adamu (53)—were caught with $900,000 in suspected counterfeit notes on the Kano–Maiduguri Road. Authorities have taken custody of both the suspects and the fake currency.
In Adamawa, a vehicle loaded with 390 blocks of cannabis skunk weighing 275.3kg was recovered from an abandoned Toyota Sienna along the Ngurore–Yola Road on May 27.
Further arrests include a well-known female drug dealer in Kwara State. On May 31, NDLEA officers raided the Oja Oba area in Ilorin and arrested Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai. Several quantities of tramadol, flunitrazepam, and codeine-based syrup were recovered.
In line with the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign, the agency also led drug education sessions in schools across the country. Participating schools included Government Day Senior Secondary School in Katsina, Corpus Christi College in Enugu, Epignosis Standard College in Anambra, and Government Girls Secondary Schools in Kano and Cross River.
NDLEA Chairman Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) applauded officers involved in the week’s operations. He praised their commitment to cutting off drug supply chains while also investing in prevention and education.
