The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), has announced the arrest of two individuals caught trying to smuggle cocaine while posing as pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.
Marwa made this known on Wednesday during the opening of a drug control meeting held in Abuja. The suspects, according to him, had ingested the cocaine in a bid to evade detection, pretending to be sincere Muslim pilgrims on a religious mission.
“Just a few days ago, we arrested two would-be pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj. They swallowed cocaine, pretending to be going to the country to pray,” he said.
The NDLEA boss noted with concern the increasing use of religious pilgrimages by drug traffickers to transport illegal substances. He recounted past cases where innocent Nigerians were tricked into unknowingly carrying drugs under the guise of receiving assistance for their pilgrimage.
“We have had incidents where people were deceived in the name of Hajj. Two years ago, three women were duped. Some individuals offered to pay for their tickets, and visas among others. Before they left, they were given a small bag to deliver to a supposed relative in Saudi Arabia. Unknown to them, cocaine had been sewn into the lining of the bag,” he explained.
Despite financial constraints, Marwa noted that the NDLEA remains focused on its goals under the National Drug Control Master Plan (2021–2025). He mentioned that the recent amendment to the NDLEA Act, which is awaiting presidential approval, is expected to give the agency stronger powers in its fight against drug trafficking.
Marwa also shared updates on the agency’s activities over the past two years. According to him, under the Supply Reduction pillar, the NDLEA arrested over 31,000 drug offenders, with nearly 7,000 convictions. The agency seized more than four million kilograms of illicit drugs and destroyed over 400 hectares of cannabis farms.
He also stated that under the Drug Demand Reduction arm of the plan, over 19,000 individuals received counselling and rehabilitation services from the agency.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN—represented by Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecution—said the ministry was working closely with the NDLEA to support their mission. He expressed hope that the amended NDLEA Act would soon be signed into law, making it easier to disrupt drug trafficking operations and follow the money trail of criminal networks.
He said, “The Federal Ministry of Justice has worked together with the NDLEA to ensure that our national legal system effectively supports the drug control efforts of the Agency. We are at the final stage of the amendment process for the NDLEA Act, which will significantly enhance the organizational capability of the Agency to combat substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria. The ministry is also providing appropriate support in the area of proceeds of crime management, which is essential for dismantling the financial networks of drug traffickers.”
