The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recently uncovered and dismantled a concerning syndicate that was reportedly sponsoring Hajj pilgrims to serve as couriers for transporting cocaine to Saudi Arabia. The operation, which occurred over the last week, led to the arrest of key cartel leaders and several individuals involved in drug trafficking.
On May 26, 2025, two Saudi-bound pilgrims, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, were apprehended at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport during the outward clearance for Ethiopian Airline flight ET 940 to Jeddah. Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives conducted a thorough screening that revealed both individuals had ingested illicit substances. They were subjected to excretion observation, ultimately expelling 90 cocaine pellets weighing a total of 1.04 kg.
As investigations unfolded, the identities of the syndicate’s leaders emerged, leading to the swift arrest of three kingpins: Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba, on May 27 and 28, 2025.
In a related incident, NDLEA operatives also intercepted a 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, on May 28, as he attempted to board a Qatar Airways flight to Iran. A body scan revealed he had ingested 65 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.41 kg.
In a large-scale operation at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex in Rivers State, between May 28 and 30, NDLEA agents, in collaboration with the Customs Service and other security agencies, seized seven containers containing a staggering 825,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup and a total of 5.1 million pills of the opioid tapentadol. The combined street value of these opioid shipments amounts to an astonishing N9.3 billion.
Further operations in Kano also led to the interception of two suspects with $900,000 in suspected counterfeit cash on the Kano-Maiduguri road on May 30, while additional drug seizures included 390 blocks of cannabis, also known as skunk, in Adamawa State.
The NDLEA is also actively promoting the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) initiative, engaging in social advocacy and educational sensitization programs across various schools in the country aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of drug abuse.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, commended the agents involved for their diligent work in combating drug trafficking and emphasized the importance of continuing efforts in both drug supply reduction and demand reduction strategies.
The NDLEA remains committed to its mission of safeguarding the nation against the pervasive threats of drug abuse and trafficking.