Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted 1.04 kilograms of cocaine from two pilgrims, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) in Kano.
Mustapha and Shifado were arrested during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 940 to Jedda, Saudi Arabia, on May 26, 2025.
In a follow-up operation after the arrest of the two pilgrims, the NDLEA also apprehended in Kano on May 27 and 28, 2025, the kingpins – Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Muhammed Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba – who sponsor Hajj pilgrimage. The drug cartel also acts as couriers, transporting cocaine to Saudi Arabia during the pilgrimage.
This was disclosed in a statement made available to Thelensng by the Director of Media and Advocacy at NDLEA, Mr. Femi Babafemi on Sunday.
“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.
“Investigation soon unraveled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specializes 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 Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025 in Kano,” the statement noted.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives at Kano airport on May 28 intercepted a 60-year-old businessman, Chinedu Leonard Okigbo, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1432 to Iran.
Okigbo’s body scan confirmed he had ingested illicit substances; as a result, he was placed under excretion observation, during which he excreted 65 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.41kg.
Elsewhere, at Port Harcourt Ports Complex, Onne, Rivers State, no fewer than seven watch-listed containers were positioned for joint examination by NDLEA officers, Nigeria Customs Service personnel, and other security agencies between May 28 and 30.
During the operation, 825,200 bottles of codeine-based syrup and Trodol, worth ₦5,776,400,000 billion in street value, were seized. Additionally, a total of 5,100,000 pills of opioids, especially tapentadol 225mg, worth ₦3,570,000,000 billion were recovered. This brings the combined street value of the opioids to ₦9,346,400,000 billion.
In another operation in Kano, NDLEA operatives on patrol along the Kano-Maiduguri road on May 30 intercepted Abubakar Hussein, 42, and Sahabi Adamu, 53, with US $900,000 cash suspected to be counterfeit.
“The suspects and the exhibit will be transferred to the appropriate agency for further investigation,” Babafemi stated.
The statement further read: “While a total of 390 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis weighing 275.300kg were recovered from a parked Toyota Sienna vehicle marked YLA-408GG along Ngurore – Yola road, Adamawa State on Tuesday 27th May, NDLEA operatives in Kwara on Saturday 31st May arrested a notorious female drug dealer, Alhaja Mutiat Abdul-Fatai at Oja Oba area of Ilorin where various quantities of opioids, including tramadol, flunitrazepam and codeine-based syrup were seized from her.”
Meanwhile, the War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands continued across the country in the past week.
The activities included WADA sensitisation lectures 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.
Reacting to the arrests and seizures of the past week, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa, commended the officers and men of MAKIA, PHPC, Kano, Kwara, and Adamawa commands of the agency.
Marwa also praised their counterparts in all commands across the country for maintaining a fair balance between drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
