Saudi Arabian authorities have released Maryam Abdullahi Hussaini, the Nigerian woman from Kano, who was earlier detained in Makkah over a luggage swap that linked her to drug trafficking.
Two other Nigerians, Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu and Abdulhamid Saddiq, who faced similar ordeals, were also freed.
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Mrs Hussaini, a 39-year-old mother of five, regained her freedom on Monday after more than five weeks in detention, following interventions by the Nigerian government and confirmation from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that she and the others were innocent victims of a baggage syndicate at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
Husband confirms release
Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, her husband, Abdullahi Baffa, confirmed that she had been reunited with the family.
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“Yes, it’s true; I received a call on Monday to come for her release. But we couldn’t finish the final documentation until Tuesday. I’m with her today, as you can hear her voice,” he said.
Mrs Hussaini, who spoke briefly, said: “I’m grateful to Allah for my release. I’m grateful for all your efforts and prayers. Thank you.”
Mr Baffa commended NDLEA Chairperson Buba Marwa, the Nigerian Consulate in Jeddah, the federal government, and aviation stakeholders for ensuring her release.
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PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported how Mrs Hussaini, who travelled with her husband on 6 August to perform the lesser hajj, was linked to a “Ghana-must-go” sack filled with marijuana at Jeddah airport.
Though the tag number on the sack did not match her luggage, Saudi authorities detained her at the Rihab Centre in Makkah, accusing her of ownership of the drugs.
Her husband insisted the mix-up was caused by Ethiopian Airlines and corrupt airport staff, who mishandled their baggage.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi announced on 25 August that investigators had cleared the three detained Nigerians after uncovering a criminal network at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).
He confirmed the arrest of a 55-year-old alleged drug kingpin, Mohammed Ali Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, along with five members of his syndicate. The group was taken into custody after investigators found they were behind the shipment of illicit substances that wrongly implicated the three pilgrims in Jeddah.
Explaining how the syndicate framed the victims, Mr Babafemi said the pilgrims had boarded Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 from Kano to Jeddah via Addis Ababa on 6 August. They were tagged with six additional bags that did not belong to them, three of which contained illicit drugs.
“Mr Maryam Hussaini Abdullahi only checked in one luggage weighing nine kilograms, which did not arrive at her destination. Her husband was informed of its arrival on 16 August, a day before their scheduled departure from Jeddah on 17 August,” the statement said. “The cases of the other two persons followed the same pattern and were reported to the Agency shortly after Mrs Hussaini’s complaint.”
The NDLEA said its investigation revealed that the bags intercepted in Saudi Arabia had been checked in under the complainants’ names by syndicate members at MAKIA, without their knowledge. All the bags were traced to Ali Abubakar Mohammed, the syndicate’s leader, who checked them in on the same day the complainants travelled, while he boarded Egypt Air to Jeddah instead of Ethiopian Airlines.
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The statement added that Skyway Aviation Handling Company staff, also part of the syndicate, had secretly tagged and checked in the bags under the complainants’ names without their consent. The illegally tagged bags were the ones intercepted in Saudi Arabia and found to contain illicit drugs.
“For these reasons, the three complainants were arrested and detained for crimes they did not commit,” the NDLEA said.
“In light of the evidence gathered, it is clear that Mrs Maryam Abdullahi and two others were victims of circumstance, implicated by the activities of a criminal syndicate operating at MAKIA.”
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