Saudi Arabia Releases Three Nigerians Detained Since August For Alleged Smuggling Of Substances

According to the ministry, once the arrests were reported, the Consul General of Nigeria in Jeddah, Amb. Muazam Nayaya, immediately contacted the Saudi authorities and notified Abuja.

Three Nigerians, Abdulhamid Sadieq, Maryam Hussain Abdullahi and Bahijah Aminu Abdullahi, detained in Saudi Arabia since August 2025 for alleged smuggling of prohibited substances have been released after Saudi authorities determined they had no connection to the case at Jeddah’s King Abdul Aziz International Airport.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed their release in a statement issued on Wednesday.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Consulate General of Nigeria in Jeddah, has secured the release and full lifting of the travel ban on three Nigerian nationals; Abdulhamid Sadieq, Maryam Hussein Abdullahi, and Bahijah Aminu Abdullahi, who were arrested in August 2025 at the King Abdul Aziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,” the statement read in part.Security camera systems

The statement explained that they were arrested after prohibited substances were discovered in luggage that criminal syndicates had fraudulently linked to their air tickets at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport without their knowledge.

According to the ministry, once the arrests were reported, the Consul General of Nigeria in Jeddah, Amb. Muazam Nayaya, immediately contacted the Saudi authorities and notified Abuja.

“Amb. Muazam Nayaya, the Consulate General of Nigeria in Jeddah, immediately engaged Saudi authorities and reported the matter to headquarters in Abuja, while also requesting the intervention of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency to support investigations,” the statement said.

The mission also “maintained continuous engagement with the host authorities, ensured regular prison visits, and arranged legal representation for the detainees.”

After a series of investigations, Saudi officials cleared the three Nigerians of wrongdoing and released them on 14 and 15 September 2025.

A temporary travel restriction placed on them during the security review has now been removed.

The statement further noted Maryam Abdullahi and Bahijah Abdullahi returned to Nigeria on 5 November 2025, while the travel ban on Sadieq was lifted on 2 December 2025 and arrangements for his return are now being finalised.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs praised Riyadh for its handling of the matter, stating that it “has commended the cooperation and professionalism of the Saudi authorities throughout the process and also acknowledged the pivotal role played by the NDLEA and the Consulate in Jeddah in securing a just outcome.”

Meanwhile, SaharaReporters earlier reported that Maryam had been wrongly accused of travelling to Saudi Arabia with a bag filled with marijuana.

On her arrival in Jeddah on 7 August 2025, she was detained, and her husband alleged that staff of Ethiopian Airlines and baggage handlers had secretly attached the suspicious bag to her luggage without her knowledge or consent.

Her husband told SaharaReporters that “the suspicious bag was attached to his wife’s luggage without her knowledge or consent,” and that though video evidence allegedly showed the suspect who committed the crime, security agencies prevented him from releasing it publicly.

The reports stated that Maryam had only checked in one luggage (weighing 9 kg) at the departure airport, and that upon arrival in Jeddah her luggage did not arrive with her.

Security operatives reportedly compared her luggage tags with the impounded “Ghana‑must‑go” bag but found inconsistencies — the bag’s tag number did not match hers — yet she remained detained for further investigation.

SaharaReporters further reported that during her detention at the Riyadh‑area facility she was reportedly chained by hand and foot, and her family described the ordeal as a result of “criminal negligence” by the airline and airport staff.

It was only after intervention by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), diplomatic engagement and evidence pointing to a criminal syndicate operating at the departure airport that she and the others were eventually cleared and released.