NDLEA Arrests Three Kano drug kingpins
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered and dismantled a criminal syndicate specialising in sponsoring Hajj pilgrims as drug couriers to Saudi Arabia, arresting three key cartel leaders in Kano.
The kingpins, Abubakar Muhammad, Abdulhakeem Tijjani, and Muhammad Aji Shugaba, were apprehended on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 27 and 28, in follow-up operations after two intending pilgrims were arrested at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, with 90 cocaine pellets.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the two suspects, Ibrahim Mustapha and Muhammad Shifado, were intercepted on May 26 during the outward clearance of passengers on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET 940 to Jeddah.
Acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives subjected the pilgrims to a body scan, which confirmed ingestion of illicit substances.
Babafemi added that they were placed under excretion observation and subsequently excreted 45 wraps of cocaine each, totalling 90 pellets weighing 1.04kg.
He added that Investigation soon unravelled their sponsors as leaders of a notorious drug trafficking network, which specialises 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 May 27 and 28, 2025 in Kano.
