The Saudi Arabian authorities have released three Nigerian pilgrims earlier detained in Jeddah on allegations of drug trafficking, following weeks of diplomatic and security engagements by Nigeria.

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi.

The freed pilgrims were identified as Mrs. Maryam Abdullahi, Mrs. Bahijja Abdullahi, and Mr. Abdulhamid Saddieq. They had been in custody for four weeks.

Marwa explained that their release was secured through sustained interventions and engagement with the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC), fully backed by President Bola Tinubu. He also noted the contributions of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

According to Marwa, investigations by the NDLEA revealed that a drug syndicate operating at Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, had tagged illicit drug-laden bags with the names of unsuspecting pilgrims who travelled on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 from Kano to Jeddah on August 6, 2025, for the lesser hajj.

He said the probe led to the arrest of the mastermind, 55-year-old Mohammed Ali Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, along with three accomplices—airline officials Celestina Yayock, Abdulbasit Sagagi, and Jazuli Kabir. Charges have since been filed against the suspects in Nigeria.

“Armed with the outcome of our investigation, charges filed against the syndicate members, and other evidence to establish the innocence of the pilgrims, we engaged Saudi authorities at multiple levels, in line with President Tinubu’s directive that no Nigerian should suffer unjustly in a foreign land,” Marwa said.

He revealed that one of the detainees was released on September 14, while the other two regained their freedom on September 15.

Marwa commended the Saudi GDNC for honoring the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation between both agencies and praised Tinubu’s support, stressing that the government is committed to protecting Nigerians abroad.

“This outcome demonstrates that no Nigerian will be unjustly punished for crimes they did not commit anywhere in the world,” he added.