NIGERIA: NDLEA Uncovers Pilgrimage Cocaine Cartel, Arrests Sponsor, Others In Kano

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a drug trafficking syndicate that allegedly sponsored pilgrims to Saudi Arabia as drug couriers.

The agency made this known in a press release signed by the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday, while stating that three suspected kingpins in connection to the cartel were also arrested in Kano State.

The crackdown followed the arrest of two intending pilgrims, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) on Monday, May 26, 2025.

The duo, intercepted at the final NDLEA screening point during outward clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, were found to have ingested a total of 90 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.04 kilograms.

The statement reads: “The interdiction of the intending pilgrims at the NDLEA final screening point at the Kano airport was based on credible intelligence. When they were taken for scanning, the result confirmed ingestion of illicit substances. They were subsequently placed on excretion observation, during which they excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, bringing the total for both to 90 pellets with a total weight of 1.04kg.”

A swift follow-up operation led to the arrest of the suspected sponsors of the illicit operation. The three men , Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba , were arrested on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May in Kano. They are believed to be leaders of a notorious cartel specializing in drug trafficking to Saudi Arabia during hajj pilgrimages.

In a related operation at the same airport, NDLEA officers arrested 60-year-old businessman Chinedu Leonard Okigbo on Wednesday, May 28. He was intercepted while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Iran. A body scan revealed he had ingested 65 wraps of cocaine, weighing 1.41 kilograms.

Meanwhile, in a major drug haul at the Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, NDLEA, in collaboration with Customs and other security agencies, also intercepted seven containers between Wednesday 28th and Friday 30th May.

The joint examination uncovered 825,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup and Trodol, valued at ₦5.77 billion, as well as 5.1 million tablets of Tapentadol 225mg worth ₦3.57 billion. The total street value of the intercepted opioids stands at ₦9.35 billion.

In another operation along the Kano-Maiduguri road on Friday, May 30, NDLEA operatives arrested Abubakar Hussein (42) and Sahabi Adamu (53) in possession of $900,000 in cash suspected to be counterfeit. The suspects and the exhibit are being transferred to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.

The statement further stated that NDLEA has also intensified its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign across several states during the week.

The statement added: “ The War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week. Some of them include: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of Government Day Senior Secondary School, Kwasarawa, Katsina; Corpus Christi College, Achi, Enugu; Epignosis Standard College, Onitsha, Anambra; Government Girls Secondary School, Utai, Wudil LGA, Kano; and Government Girls Secondary School, Calabar, Cross River, among others.”

Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) praised the operatives for their vigilance and commitment to tackling drug trafficking in all forms.

“I commend our officers in MAKIA, PHPC, Kano, Kwara, and Adamawa Commands for the outstanding seizures and arrests made during the week. Their efforts reflect a fair and balanced focus on both drug supply reduction and demand reduction, which is vital for achieving a drug-free Nigeria.”