Abuja, June 1, 2025 – The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has busted a drug syndicate sponsoring drug couriers as pilgrims to Saudi Arabia and arrested three of their leaders.
The NDLEA identified the syndicate leaders as Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba, all from Kano
Femi Babafemi, the Spokesman for the NDLEA, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
The statement said the cartel leaders were arrested on May 27 and May 28, 2025 following a tip off after two intending pilgrims were arrested with 90 pellets of cocaine at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport in Kano.
The two suspects, Ibrahim Mustapha and Muhammad Shifado, were intercepted during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 940 to Jeddah on May 26.
The NDLEA said the suspects were subjected to a body scan which confirmed they had ingested illicit substances and were placed under excretion observation.
They subsequently excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, totalling 90 pellets weighing 1.04 kg.
“Investigation soon unravelled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specialises in trafficking illicit drugs to Saudi Arabia.
“A swift follow-up operation was carried out, and the trio of Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba were arrested on May 27 and 28, 2025 in Kano, “ the statement said.
The NDLEA, on May 28, arrested 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight (QR1432) to Iran with 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg.
NDLEA operatives, working with Customs and other security agencies, at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex (PHPC), Onne, also intercepted seven containers with 825,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup and Trodol with a street value of ₦5.78 billion and 5.1 million pills of tapentadol (225mg) worth ₦3.57 billion between May 28 and May 30.
The NDLEA operatives, working on Kano–Maiduguri Road, on May 30. intercepted Abubakar Hussein (42) and Sahabi Adamu (53) with $900,000 in suspected counterfeit currency.
The suspects and the cash have been handed over to appropriate authorities for further investigation.
About 390 compressed blocks of skunk cannabis weighing 275.3kg were discovered By NDLEA operatives abandoned in a Toyota Sienna parked along Ngurore–Yola Road in Admawa State on Tuesday, May 27.
The NDLEA in Kwara State also arrested a notorious female drug dealer, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai, at the Oja Oba area of Ilorin on May 31.
“Various quantities of opioids, including tramadol, flunitrazepam, and codeine-based syrup, were recovered from her residence,” Babafemi said.
